Never Let You Go
by ProDLnEC aka NLcsimiamifanatic
Summary: Ryan/OC. Ryan reunites with his first love by chance.WARNINGS: Second, FLUFF warningX1000! If you read, pleases take the time to review, otherwise how many readers I have. Any grammar/typos are mine! ON HAITUS
1. My Best Friend

_**My Best Friend**_

Despite the girl with curly black ponytails and large blue eyes messing up his marbles that he had arranged by color when they played allies and other street games with other children on the sidewalk or in her foster family's driveway, 4-year-old Ryan Wolfe fell in love with Emily Jaxson soon after meeting her. Emily fell in what preschoolers called love with Ryan as well, even if she never understood the boy's need to be so meticulously organized with _everything_. The way he set up his marbles bugged her too much. That was why she couldn't resist missing them up. The two became instant best friends, nearly inseparable and stayed that way through primary and elementary school, becoming a steady couple in junior high till graduation.

Then one could say "life happened." Ryan got accepted to police academy in Florida. Emily was accepted to college in North Carolina. Ryan had wanted to be in law enforcement since he could talk. He was excited to be accepted to the academy in Miami by would have been much happier if Emily had accepted to Miami University to indulge in her love of photography. But as it was, she was given a great opportunity being accepted to the University of North Carolina which had one of the best photography programs in the southern US. Knowing that the long distance would only strain and possibly ruin their relationship the two broken off their relationship days before they had to go their separate ways in the road to growing up. Though he hid it till he was out of her sight, Ryan sobbed as hard as Emily did the day they broke up.

Though they kept in touch or tried to, it was never the same; after they both graduated college, the two lost touch completely. Though they both dated other people, they never stopped loving one another and unconsciously comparing any new person to their first love.

_Three Months prior..._

Emily Jaxson was packing up her apartment with the help of her neighbors and a few friends from work. Her new job was taking her to Miami, Florida.

"Who knows? You might find this Ryan guy you talk about," one of the women helping her pack said.

Emily certainly hoped for this but she knew Ryan only _trained_ in Miami. He might not be there anymore. She wasn't getting her hopes up. She wasn't sure she could handle the disappointment, plus, she was aware that Ryan could have moved on and be living happily with someone else now. Emily still loved Ryan but would never dream of ruining any happiness the man had found without her.

Unknown to her though, Ryan Wolfe could not get Emily out of his mind even after all these years. And like her, anybody and everybody close to Ryan knew about his first love, why they had to unwillingly end their relationship, how they lost touch and how no one he met compared to Emily for Ryan. His co-workers often asked him why he just didn't look her up. His answer was similar to Emily's; if she had found happiness he didn't want to intrude.

_**Please R & R!**_


	2. It's Her!

_**It's Her!**_

Emily didn't realized how close she was to her first love in that café that day when she was eating by herself. Way across the room Ryan caught sight of her and was staring.

He was stunned.

He was ninety-nine percent sure he was looking at Emily Jaxson.

"What ya staring at. Wolfe?" Walter Simmons said.

"I think that's... Emily," Ryan said, absently, not looking away.

"_The_ Emily? Well, let's find out," Frank Tripp said, getting up and walking across the room. Ryan tried to stop him but was sandwiched by Walter Simmons and Eric Delko.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Frank said when he got to Emily's table. "My name is Frank Tripp."

"Hi," Emily said. She didn't know what this man was up to._ Please don't hit on me,_ she thought.

"This may seem to be an odd question but do you know my friend over there?" He pointed out Ryan, wedged between two other men and wearing an embarrassed look on his face. "His name is Ryan Wolfe."

"I do," she couldn't help but admit.

Emily was utterly shocked and her heart pounding with excitement...and joy. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Ryan then practically pushed the burly African-American young man named Walter out of the way to get to Emily. Neither knew at this point if the other had someone else in their lives, but the two grabbed each other, Ryan grabbing Emily by her waist and sweeping her feet off the floor, the two kissed passionately without a word.

"Wow," Eric said.

"Yeah," Walter said. "I never thought I'd see Wolfe do that!"

Eric and Frank had to agree.

After their passionate and public reunion kiss, the two went over to Emily's table, food completely forgotten. They quietly and simultaneously told each other there was no one in their lives. They exchanged addresses and numbers, grudgingly knowing they both had to go back to their jobs for the afternoon. Ryan would go straight to her place after his shift.

"Wolfe's gonna get laid tonight!" Eric teased him, the other two following suit.

Ryan just smiled.

He felt pinching himself over and over.

_Could he be this lucky?_

"Seriously though, Wolfe," Frank said, "you have to formally introduce us to her soon. We've _all_ heard too much about her."

Emily was off for the day before Ryan was; she had no doubt in her mind, even if she hadn't heard the teasing from Ryan's co-workers, that the two were going to be intimate that evening she stopped by the drug store and purchased the necessary precautions. She was on the pill but it never hurt to have a back up.

"I have to say, she's quite beautiful, Wolfe," Frank said of Emily. "And she picked _you_?" He teased.

"A kick in the head for you, huh, Frank?" Ryan teased back. "I saw the look on her face when you went over and introduced yourself. _Oh no! How am I going to nicely turn this old bold guy down!_"

This was ironically similar to what Emily had thought.

Word got around the lab fast that that Ryan had found "his" Emily again. Horatio told the CSI he was glad for him and he hoped to meet Emily soon.

The last two hours of Ryan's shift dragged for him, giving Walter amusement. Ryan damned his OCD when he had to make sure he observed the speed limit getting to his destination.


	3. You Won't!

_**You Won't!**_

"I think it's sweet!" Calleigh said of her co-worker being reunited with his first love. "You're _not_ calling him to see what he's doing!" She snatched her fiance's phone from his hand. "That's just mean!"

Emily waited for Ryan. She wore just a pair of short denim shorts and tank-top. She knew what the two were going to do the moment he arrived. The less clothes she wore, the better. Her small apartment was a basic bed-sitting room. The kitchen, dining room and main bedroom were one. It was spacious enough to accommodate a double bed in the center in the room, along with a long sofa on the side of the room underneath the window that could pull out into a bed and have enough room to entertain company and not have to move the coffee table that in the middle of the room. There was also a small storage room which she used a spare room, where she placed a futon sofa. She had already closed the blinds for when her guest arrived, not waiting to give any passers-by a thrill or traumatize innocent eyes.

She dashed to the door the moment she heard the knock. She pulled Ryan in by the his collar, slamming the door behind him and swiftly locked the door. Again with a word the two kissed passionately.

Ryan was the first to speak when their lips parted.

"Jesus, have I missed you!" He said emotionally.

Small tears had gathered in Emily's eyes. Tears she couldn't shed earlier at the café or at work. She was having a hard believing that she wasn't dreaming when she had Ryan Wolfe in her arms again.

"I missed you, too. You have no idea how bad!"

Sure Emily had dated and had few semi-serious relationships in the past eleven years and she did love the men to certain degree but when it come down to it, all of them had one thing running against him; they weren't Ryan Wolfe.

The couple were on the bed, naked in the center of the room in less than two minutes. After making love feverishly for over an hour the two finally rested, laying naked in each other's arms just taking about the past 11 years. Emily learned Ryan had moved from patrol and was now a CSI at the crime lab. Ryan found out that Emily looked at a major photography firm and photographed ever type of occasion imaginable, except visiting celebrities, as well as free-lancing her own work some of which was displayed in frames on the walls of her apartment. Photographing celebrities didn't take any skill in her mind and was far from any sort of art.

Maybe he was biased but Ryan always thought Emily was talented; even if Emily's foster parents had told her work was "nothing but glorified hobby" and were disappointed and vocal to this day that she had picked that to study in college. Emily never cared, then or in the present; she found her passion. Emily laughed telling Ryan she also did a many lay-outs for bakeries and restaurants, she was surprised she didn't weigh a thousand pounds with all freebies she got there. Ryan did not know that Emily's best girlfriend from childhood, Selena O'Riley, someone Ryan had also grown up with and knew fairly well, lived in Sarasota, just over an hour away. He had lost touch with everyone from his childhood when he moved to Florida. Still the only person he ever missed was Emily.

"She didn't know you were here, either, we talk at least once a week," Emily said, hugging into Ryan.

Ryan had taken a extra set of clothes from his locker at work knowing he was most likely going to be spending the night at Emily's. He left from there at 7:15am, Emily didn't have to leave just yet.

"I love you," both whispered before he left. "I'll see you at lunch?"

Ryan had given Emily the address to one of the best Chinese buffet in the city. Having been there only three months she had been there yet.

Chinese food was one Emily's favorite take-outs, that and pizza and pasta.

"You bet," Emily said.


	4. The Same

_**Everything's the Same**_

From the moment they reunited at her apartment it was like no time had passed for Ryan and Emily. They never to ask whether they were a couple again. They knew. They could banter in the same easy way and simply enjoy each other's company doing nothing. The team would get a taste of their banter when they saw the two at lunch.

Eric and Walter overhead that Ryan was meeting his girlfriend at the Mandarin Buffet.

"Maybe that's where we'll go for lunch today. And introduce ourselves to the couple," Eric grinned.

Unknown to both however, Calleigh was standing behind them.

"We shall," Calleigh said, giving both of them a start. "Then we shall leave them for their lunch for two, understand?" she said, holding both men by their back collars.

"Yes, ma'am," both said.

* * *

Ryan was teasing Emily as she tried in vain to eat with chopsticks.

"After eleven years, you still can't use them right!" He teased her.

"How would you like these chopsticks shoved up your nose?" Emily replied.

The CSI wasn't surprised to see his co-workers show up at the restaurant and introduce themselves.

"You know Frank," Ryan said, then he introduced the others.

It wasn't said but it was evident to Emily that Calleigh and Eric were a couple. She asked Ryan how that was going on. Ryan chuckled and went into how long the couple had "beat around the brush" for a long time and how much the two had been through before finally confessing their love.

"Wow," Emily breathed.

"How long do you think it's gonna be those two move in together?" Calleigh asked Eric as they drove back to the lab.

"Six months I'd say," Eric said. "And I see Wolfe bein' a daddy within two years."

"What makes you say that?" Calleigh asked.

Ryan was good with children but Calleigh hadn't heard him talk about parenthood.

"I don't know. Just the way he talks about Emily. I get the feeling a family might be in the works for them."

Emily and Ryan had most definitely talked about a family. He may have never talked about it with his friends but Ryan indeed wanted fatherhood at some point in his life. Now that Emily was back in his life it was sooner than later.


	5. Sooner

_**Sooner**_

Eric had thought it would be six months before Emily and Ryan moved in together; he was wrong. Calleigh said it would be sooner and she was right. Less than four months after Emily moved to town Ryan took two days off to help her move into his two bedroom condo. The team had seen a lot more of Emily since they were first introduced to her at the restaurant. All had to agree she was right for Ryan. They were glad to see that even if Emily wasn't OCD like her boyfriend she didn't poke fun at him for it and try to embarrass him about it. It was a part of who Ryan was and she accepted this unconditionally.

Selena O'Riley had to stifle a scream of joy, shocking herself, when she had heard her best friend had met up with Ryan Wolfe again weeks ago. Emily's best friend had seen how devastated Emily was when she and Ryan broke up. Emily had cried for weeks. Hearing they were reunited was great news. She knew more surely that her two friends would start a family. Selena was a mother of one-year-old identical twins Chloe and Aaliyah and four-year-old Mason. She and her husband Lance owned a restaurant in Sarasota. Emily was the children's godmother. Emily found the racial mix of the three children made them fascinatingly beautiful; Selena's husband Lance was born in Korea and believed to have had a Korean birthmother and Chinese birthfather, but was raised in the United States since the age of six months by adoptive was betting his wife that Emily and Ryan would elope in weeks, even days. He had just met Emily a few times and had yet to meet Ryan but from what he had been told it sounded like this would happen. Selena couldn't disagree. Neither could she say it was an unwise decision. It wasn't like the two had just met. If the two hadn't been separated by the circumstances of life they would have been long married and started family life by now.

Ryan laughed after he helped Emily move in when Calleigh asked him where they "started on the baby yet."

They weren't but Emily couldn't help but think and Ryan agreed that the small spare room would make a cozy nursery. The CSI had ten days of vacation coming up in a week and he was planning to take his lover away on a trip to the Florida keys.

_**A short chapter but juicy one coming up!**_


	6. Piece of Heaven

_**Piece of Heaven**_

The eight days in the Florida keys was slice of heaven for the couple. They spent the days in a cottage on the beach, strolling on the beach barefoot hand-in-hand. And as of the second day, they did this as a married couple. They purposely neglected to tell friends they talked to during their vacation this wanting to surprise them all.

Emily had called the family who had raised her since she were two-years-old. Harry and Vanessa Studman were happy for their daughter and couldn't visit any time soon. Their son James who was three years older than Emily and daughter Haley who was two years older both planned to visit Miami within a few weeks. They had met their sister's husband before and looked forward to seeing him again.

They joined the group hoping for a baby.

Soon.

* * *

"How was your vacation?" Natalia asked Ryan when the CSI returned to work on that Monday.

"Great. As long as I've been in Miami, I've never took the time to feel sand underneath my feet," Ryan replied.

He never said a word about the ring on his left hand.

"Lots of strolls on the beach, huh?"

"Yeah. We almost had the whole beach to yourselves. I only saw two other cottages occupied and that was on the other side."

Calleigh was the first to notice the object.

"Ryan, what's that on your finger?"

"This? It's a ring, Cal," he replied.

"It looks like a _wedding_ ring!"

"Right again."

"You dog!" Calleigh said, slapping Ryan's arm. "You and Emily got married!"

"We did. Six days ago," Ryan grinned.

A chorus of cheers went up in the breakroom.

"Now what's the hold-up on the baby?" Frank asked.

There really was none.

The two were hoping Emily would get pregnant anytime now. She'd been off the pill since a day before their wedding.

Haley figured it out, James not so much that their sister was trying to get pregnant when they visited the sunshine state from Massachusetts. They should have had a preteen or two by now in her opinion so she was glad to make their visit only a weekend. And really there wasn't room enough for them to stay comfortably at the couple's residence anyway. Them staying at a bed and breakfast gave the couple time for each other and baby-making sex at night.

* * *

Twelve weeks later Natalia happened to notice Ryan's wife looking around at a furniture store.

In the nursery section.

She told the clerk she was buying just yet because she was found out she was pregnant only the day before and was just six weeks along. The saleswoman was friendly and helpful, asking Emily to describe the room. Emily said the room had a small closet that could hold the majority of clothing. Some shelves were going to be put up on the walls to hold diapers and changing essentials. Emily was looking for a crib, a change table with drawers below to hold extra clothes, a rocker, and perhaps a slim wardrobe. The saleswoman told Emily when she when she was ready to buy it would easy to find these matching items. As far as further decorating it was suggested that the room could be decorated with removable wall stickers if the family thought they might move in a short while and they didn't want to leave behind a beautiful nursery that so much work went into. Emily thought this was a good idea. Their home was small and though they had no plans to move for a while, maybe years, she could understand the point of the nursery art being "portable." Emily didn't notice Natalia before she thanked the saleswoman and left.

Natalia was called directly to a scene that morning before getting to the lab. When she did it was busy with no time for chat with co-workers. She had missed Ryan announcing before things got busy that he and Emily were expecting. His wife had told him she had suspected it two days before and it was confirmed the day before. It was difficult not to get excited too soon. When Ryan made that comment to Alexx Woods, the woman was like a surrogate mother to him, she was understanding. She knew that feeling, being a mother of two. The couple had thought about not telling anyone for a awhile but realized that would be impossible.

Selena O'Riley screamed in excitement when her friend called and told her she was pregnant. To her, it was "about time" the two "took this ride." She knew Ryan was going to a doting, even if annoying father-to-be. Ryan had always nagged Emily about her poor eating habits and her love of junk food, especially chocolate. Now he really had a reason to be doing so

Even if it might get him killed.


	7. Heartbeat

_**Heartbeat**_

_WARNING: RATED "M" FOR BRIEF SEXUAL CONTENT_

In the mere days since Emily found out she was pregnant Ryan had got into the habit of constantly asking "are you sure you're allowed to eat that?"

In an effort to save money and as well as for health reasons, Emily now started packing her lunch and snacks for the day now. One particular morning she was packing for a long day and her husband noticed that next to her two roast beef with mustard sandwiches, fruit cup and small container of baby carrots was a mini bag of cheese puffs and two snack packs of chocolate chip cookies.

"Are you allowed to have those?" Ryan asked.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his wife he couldn't help himself.

"Yes, _dear_," Emily said. "I'm pregnant. Not dead."

At this rate he wouldn't survive to meet the baby. It was a good thing Ryan didn't see the four bite size bars in the bottom of of the rest of the food. He would have really nagged her. Emily thought she was doing good, she was a junk food junkie in at least temporary recovery. This level of junk food was low for her. As the first few weeks of her pregnancy continued to go by with complications or sickness, Emily was pleased. She looked forward to getting past the twelve week point when she didn't have to worry about miscarriage so much. There wasn't any history of miscarriage in her birth family, though she had been loved as their own and raised by the Studman family she had knowledge and sporadic contact with her birth family most of her life. The family had wanted to adopt her but her biological parents wouldn't allow it and a judge wouldn't force it. When Emily turned eighteen she thought about legally changing her last name but realized it was only paper. And now she was no longer Emily Jaxson. She was Emily Wolfe. Though she didn't have any room for her biological family in her life, Emily was glad to have her full medical family history for her peace of mind.

* * *

The mother-to-be noticed she was beginning to get a small belly now. It probably wasn't going to be long before she had to shop for new clothes. Ryan had also noticed the differences in his wife's body and captivated. If it was possible they enjoyed and made love more now. Ryan had heard that pregnancy made a woman's body much more sensitive and she often climaxed quicker and more often.

And it was correct.

Not that Ryan minded; the more satisfaction his wife he bought his wife, the better. Plus thought they'd better get all the sex in they could now. Once the baby was here things were going to be different.

"You never thought twice about marrying Ryan so soon?" One of her co-workers asked her during lunch.

"Nope," Emily replied, chewing on her sandwich. "If we didn't have to get separated, we would have been married long ago. Once I found him, I wasn't letting him go again."

Ryan had told his friends the same; if it wasn't for the separation, he would have long been a married man, hopefully with children.

Emily's first ultrasound was coming up in two days and she and Ryan were both excited. The doctor was able to schedule it so it was on Ryan's lunch break so he could be there. She had asked Emily if her husband had hoped to view the ultrasound because in her experience there were husbands who were indifferent. When Emily had answered in the affirmative she asked if there a good time for Ryan. When the only time was his lunch break she penciled the two in. The couple would have to arrive and leave separately but that didn't matter.

* * *

"Big day, huh?" Horatio asked Ryan.

Ryan grinned.

"Yeah. Can't wait."

"Cubby" as the team had nicknamed the unborn child didn't look that much like a baby right now. However his or her mother and father cried, kissing each other watching the tiny being move on the screen and hearing the heartbeat. The baby's head and tiny body was visible, the spine being prominent. The limbs were stubby and very tiny fingers and toes could be seen. Emily had gained a little less than fours pounds which was normal. The doctor told them Emily should gain three pounds to four pounds before the next appointment in two weeks and two pounds after that. When the couple didn't have any questions she printed off three copies on the ultrasound.

"One for each of you and one for the baby book," she said.

"So that's your kid, huh?" Frank teased. "Cute. Must take after Emily."


	8. Developments

_**Developments**_

At sixteen weeks "Cubby" was estimated to be 5.3 inches long and slightly over the same in that number of ounces. Mom's waist line was gone. Food cravings hadn't kicked in yet but some hormones had. Emily knew she'd be in maternity clothes in a few weeks but for now loose fitting clothes did the trick. Being short there was plenty of pants in her closet that were too big in the waist and fit her in length. Now the belt was much looser or one wasn't needed at all. Ryan and Emily were undecided whether they wanted to find out the baby's gender. It could be revealed now.

Causing the most anxiety for Emily at this point was the fact that the doctor highly recommended she make an appointment with her dentist, the one professional she dreaded more the gynaecologist. Emily went to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning. Her dentist was made familiar with her through notes in her file by her previous dentist in North Carolina and never forget to lot in extra time in case a filling or two had to done. Ryan went to the dentist every three months without fail. He swore he'd get his wife into this same habit, for her own good.

"That's what you think," Emily said when he told her.

But with her dentist now selling his practice Emily was switching to her husband's dentist. She had a feeling the woman would have the same idea as Ryan.

* * *

Even though they were only expecting one baby the Wolfes were looking forward to seeing what it was like to vacation with small children. Selena O'Riley-Curtis and her family were coming to Miami for ten days. Lance was looking forward to meeting the couple that his wife had spoken so much about. He had seen their pictures, all of the ones taken through childhood and teen years. Selena had boxes of those and of course he had seen the photo taken of the couple on the beach in the keys on the evening of their wedding. In every picture, even ones from preschool the two looked in love, Lance observed.

"And don't worry yourself," his wife assured him. "They don't slobber all over each other constantly."

"Really?" Lance replied as he continued to help her pack for the trip, balancing Chloe in one arm. "After 11 years of separation I'd think they _should_ be."

Lance Curtis had met Emily and was looking forward to meeting Ryan. He was in the group that thought Emily getting pregnant so fast may not be good. "What if the excitement and passion of their reunion when reality set in, things didn't work. A quick marriage could easily be done away with, but not a child."

Selena acknowledged this. Still she had no worries. If Emily and Ryan got into schools in the same state, they would have never separated, and "by god, did they try to make that happen," she said. "I can believe Emily when she said the moment they were together again it was like no time passed."

"Yeah, okay," Lance said. "But I bet they 're overwhelmed they added a baby to the mix so fast."

"Overwhelmed, yes. But in a good way. Adding that baby was planned to the day."

* * *

Both Lance and Ryan smiled at the women's excited squeals when Selena and Emily saw each other again when they met at the hotel restaurant. They introduced themselves to each other and Lance introduced their children. Chloe and Aaliyah were both sleeping soundly next to each other in the twin stroller. Mason Curtis was not shy.

"My mom says you're a policeman _and_ a scientist!" He said to Ryan.

"Yeah," Ryan said, bending down to the boy's level. "That's right."

"That's cool!" The boy said.

Even with his skills for observing the smallest detail Ryan still couldn't spot any difference in Aaliyah and Chloe Curtis. He and Emily could only tell who was who because Aaliyah was wearing overall denim shorts and Chloe was wearing a purple and white sun dress.

Aaliyah and Chloe understandingly didn't remember their godmother being the last time they saw her they were just six-months-old of age. Chloe eyed the Wolfes with suspicion and made no attempt to go to Emily. Aaliyah, however, reached out to Ryan after a few minutes of eyeing him in the same matter. Mason had no problem remember his "Auntie Emily." He asked if he could stay at her and Ryan's place that night. He seemed to understand why he couldn't when they explained they only had one extra room and that was being prepared for their baby. Lance had family who had still to meet the twin girls. Emily offered to take Mason to Sea World the following day. His parents said that would be all right knowing Emily wanted to spend time with the boy...and spoil him.

Ryan was able to go Sea World with his wife and her godson. The boy got a toy foy from the gift shop and got to feed the whales and pat the dolphins. His little jaw dropped when he heard that Aunt Emily had known Uncle Ryan they were his age.

"That's a long time," he said. "Cause now you got jobs, cars and a house!"

Both chuckled at the boy. At least when it was put that way they didn't feel old.

The three spend some time back at the couple's condo.

"You guys got _a lot_ of pictures!" Mason said looking at all the pictures of the couple through the years that were displayed on the walls. "I saw 'dat one before, an' 'dat one. Mom got those."

Knowing her son would probably spend a few hours at his godmother's home Selena had packed some books, toy cars and crayons in his backpack. Ryan was a natural with the boy as they played on the floor none of which came as surprise to his wife.

Lance had to take back that it was bad idea for Emily and Ryan to be expecting. Ryan was indeed good with children. It was also as clear as day how strong the couple's relationship was.

* * *

"I enjoyed watching you with Mason," Emily said, snuggling into her husband, kissing his bare chest.

The two had just made love in the shower for a half hour.

Ryan smiled, running his wife's bare abdomen with the back of his fingertips.

"I liked it, myself," Ryan replied. "I hope you didn't mind me asking him back before they leave? I figured you were going to anyway."

"You were right," Emily smiled.

She was sure that the action must bother some expecting women but Emily didn't mind that Ryan's palm seemed to be constantly on her belly. She couldn't feel the unborn baby yet and she would probably feel it for a short stint of time before her husband's hand on the outside could feel the sensation.

"Two more weeks," She told Ryan as she saw him look down at her belly, stroking her skin. "Or at least the doc and the books say," knowing what her husband was waiting for.

Ryan just smiled and kissed her deeply once more.


	9. And the Envelope, please

_**And the Envelope, Please...**_

_Rated M for safety._

"So are you and Ryan going to find out the sex of the baby next time?" Selena asked her friend.

The two friends had managed to arrange to have a spa day together while her in-laws took care of the twins and Lance had Mason taken to a children's museum.

Emily shook her head.

"We're trying to wait. But we'll see if we can hold out till the end though. I doubt that will be, though."

The couple were warned that they shouldn't pick out names for their baby too soon but they had already picked out a name for a girl, Arabella Jasmine Wolfe or "Bella." The comments would flow in they were sure about naming the baby "Bella" after the _Twilight_ Craze. They weren't too sure about a boy's name yet but it was _not_ going to be Ryan Wolfe Junior. They were thinking of maybe Brandon, Zachary or Nicholas, but not Jacob or Edward. The joke that Bella picked Jacob was going to be popular , the two thought.

"That's a nice name," Selena told her friend of the unborn baby girl's name. "God, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when you two laid eyes on each other again!"

_Oh yes_, Emily thought. _And that reunion kiss had been indescribable._

"It must have been a struggle for you not to break down bawlin' in the middle of the restaurant," Selena said.

"Oh yeah!" Emily said.

Selena hadn't seen this light in her friend's eyes and glow on her face in eleven years, pregnancy was likely a factor but a small one but how having a life with Ryan was the cause.

"I'd hate to see that poor bed in your apartment after that night," Selena grinned.

Emily giggled.

"Well, it wasn't new and let's just say I had new mattress very soon after!"

* * *

Emily knew there wasn't any harm in telling her friend the name she had picked for the baby. Selena wouldn't give any gift with a name or initials in case the parents were to change their minds. She knew that was possible because she and her husband had changed their minds with their oldest child. Till they had saw and held him Mason Andrew Curtis was supposed to be Maxwell Adam.

As she suspected, Emily and Ryan couldn't wait to find the gender of the baby she was carrying. Two weeks later his wife was grateful when Ryan was able to leave the job to be with her during an ultrasound in the late afternoon. If it happened that he couldn't make it he would have waited for the following appointment. As it was they waited two more weeks, Emily was now eighteen weeks pregnant.

"All right. Are you guys ready?" The technician said after placing gel on Emily's belly and moved around the instrument. The image of their baby appeared.

"Yeah," they both breathed with a smile.

"You guys are gonna have a little girl," the woman smiled, pointed at the screen.

A baby girl.

Arabella Jasmine Wolfe. "Bella"

The couple weren't embarrassed to share a kiss.

"I love you so much," Ryan whispered to Emily.

She felt his happy tears touch her skin.

"I love you, too," Emily replied.

Ryan had to return to the lab for a few hours after meeting with his wife and hearing the wonderful news.

"Hey Wolfe," Walter said. "How's Emily and the baby?"

"Wonderful," Ryan said. "We found out the sex today."

"And you look happy," Walter observed.

"It's a girl," Ryan grinned.

Earlier that morning the father-to-be had thought that the day couldn't get any better when his wife had yelled out to him immediately after he got out of the shower. The baby was kicking. He was quick enough to get the chance to feel it.

"Red letter day for you, man," Eric said.

"You guys pick out any names, yet?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, but nothin' concrete, yet. I think we're going to try harder to keep _this_ a secret. We might change our minds when we see her and it would be a waste to have a bunch of stuff with the wrong name or initials on it."

Natalia agreed.

She and Ryan had dated briefly years ago and the relationship had ended on a positive note, realizing they were better as good friends. Natalia knew from the first time Ryan casually mentioned his childhood sweetheart that the two belonged together, even if she hadn't met this Emily.

Meeting her only proved Natalia's thoughts.

* * *

Emily blushed slightly as she and Ryan both breathed heavily, both sweating. She was glad he got home when he did; for the past hour or more she felt _so_ horny. Toys or any other method of self-gratification was useless since she got pregnant. Ryan couldn't deny that being pulled through the front door and straight to the bedroom for sex, even after a hard day on the job wasn't every man's ream. And he was relishing every bit of it. His wife had been like this a lot lately and he was the only one who brought her release.

Did Ryan mind?

_Hell, no!_

"I'm sorry, babe," Emily said grinning, sheepishly.

She was apologizing for the same reason she blushed.

The long red marks she left on her husband's back and shoulders. She had nearly made the man bleed this time.

"Geez, hon. Don't apologize," he replied, turning his head and kissing her. Getting scratches from his wife during sex was actually turn-on for Ryan. "You know I don't mind. This is a great way to end the day." he grinned.

They knew sex was safe during pregnancy, even if they had to be more "creative" about it. Both thought it was beyond foolish to be uncomfortable having sex because "the baby was right there." An unborn child didn't knew anything besides maybe mom felt good. Ryan said that _if_ their daughter started to tell them of memories of them having sex while she was inside Emily then they would grovel for forgiveness.

Not before.

**_Please R & R! I love reviews!_**


	10. Hello Again

_**Hello Again**_

_Again, Ryan's childhood is my creation!_

It was harder for the people around him to believe how much Ryan's life had changed in less than a year than it was for him. He always hoped that if he was ever lucky enough to see Emily again, if her heart didn't belong to someone else, that things would just fall into place. He told himself that it was possible that Emily had moved on and was now happy with someone else. If that had been the case, Ryan loved her enough to respect that.

Ryan _was_ beside himself with joy when they met again and Emily was single...and wanted to be with him after all this time. The pieces just fit and baby Bella was another part of the dream life he wanted with Emily. They understood it was indeed very private thing but till his wife became pregnant his friends didn't know how much Ryan had wanted fatherhood. Neither did they know he grew up an unwanted, emotionally neglected child by his parents. He hadn't spoken to his parents since he left home at eighteen,. He felt his life got a hundred times better without them in it. They didn't know he was a CSI in Miami, or most importantly that he and Emily were now married and expecting a daughter.

Ryan wanted to keep it that way. His in-laws thought Ryan's parents were as awful as he said, Harry and Vanessa Studman had met these people themselves. They had no business knowing of Ryan and Emily's baby and they weren't going to find out from the Studmans.

Emily's parents were planning on surprising their daughter with a visit in a week. They were excited about seeing Ryan again. He was the person they had always wanted Emily to be with. The fact the two were having a baby was icing on the cake. Vanessa Studman laughed out-loud when he commented he hoped the newlyweds' home wasn't too small for them and a baby. Harry had heard that the spare room that was going to be the baby's nursery was small. He said he hoped the couple weren't paying a fortune for a "shoebox."

"It's a two bedroom _condo_ in _Miami_, dear. I'm sure whatever they're paying is a bargain," she said. "I think the baby will be just fine. Tiny babies don't require a lot of room."

* * *

Vanessa and Harry had already made hotel reservations for the length of their stay. It wasn't an insult to them not to stay with their daughter and son-in-law and practically there was no room. Ryan was home early on the day his guests arrived. Horatio told him to leave early that day when the lieutenant heard Emily Wolfe was having a bad day nausea-wise and was off work. His wife had awakened from a nap and had been able to finally keep down some chicken noodle soup and crackers. She was surprised to hear the doorbell ring.

"Who could that be?" She thought out-loud

Her jaw dropped and she was speechless for a split second when she saw her parents. Ryan heard the commotion from the kitchen and entered the living area that led to the porch where his wife and in-laws were.

His father-in-law came across the space separating Ryan and him and shook Ryan's hand.

"Such a long time, man. So glad to see you!" Harry said.

"You too," Ryan said.

Emily wasn't the only one thrilled she were back in Ryan's arms; in fact, her parents would have been over the moon if Emily had got pregnant the first night she and Ryan reunited. The four sat and chatted in the living room. Vanessa thought it was adorable that Ryan had arm placed around his wife's shoulders as they chatted. The couple felt somewhat bad that their guests couldn't stay there but they had started working on the nursery now and the room was filled with boxes of oak furniture, a crib that could converted to a toddler bed, a wardrobe and change table with drawers. The matching rocking chair and boards for extra shelving were on order.

"Oh, don't worry, honey," Emily's father said. "I think that room has better use at the moment."

Emily showed her mother the baby's room so far. The room was now painted lilac purple and Disney baby princess stickers covered the walls. Though miscarriage was much less likely at this point in her pregnancy, this was all the couple dared to do at this point. The furniture could wait another while to be set up and they hadn't purchased any baby clothes yet and had asked their friends not to give them any yet. Alexx Woods, Ryan's surrogate mother made sure of this. He had asked his wife and she thought it was fitting that the African-American woman to be the baby's other grandmother. She was like a mother to Ryan and was fast becoming a second mom to Emily. Ryan already bought the grandparent invitation to Alexx, shocked and gratified, the woman tearfully accepted. Emily was going to ask Selena ro be the baby's godmother. Ryan was strongly thinking of asking Frank to be the godfather being if it wasn't for Frank's boldness Ryan would have never spoken to Emily. He wasn't sure it was her and he hadn't wanted to look like a fool. The young CSI or "dust monkey" as Frank called him had thanked him several times for this since that afternoon.

Frank had just smiled and said it wasn't a problem. He'd been happy to do it.


	11. Fashion

_**Fashion**_

"Okay, you win," Harry said to his wife as they drove to their hotel. "They don't live in a shoebox. It's actually a nice comfortable spot," he said of the condo.

"I told you so," his wife replied.

The couple had stayed for a few hours till almost ten o'clock. They noticed Emily was getting tired so they bid the couple goodnight.

"Ready to go to bed, honey?" Ryan asked his wife.

Emily yawned.

"I think I'll take a hot shower first. Wanna join me?" She smiled.

"You know I can't say no," Ryan grinned.

The hot water and making out with her husband in the shower had a even more relaxed than Emily thought it would. She fell asleep almost immediately when she lay down next to Ryan. Ryan smiled and kissed her gently. He was glad to see her so relaxed. He felt her wrap her arms tightly around his torso.

"I love you. Both of you," he murmured. "You don't have hold on so tight," he whispered softly. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"I know," Emily whispered back. "I swore that if I ever got my hands on you again, you were never getting away from me."

"I'd never even try."

* * *

Emily was enjoying her parents' visit. She had the following day off from when she was called in to cover a wedding for an photographer who couldn't make it at the last minute. She and her mother went shopping for maternity wardrobe..and insisting on paying for it, even through Vanessa also insisted in going to some high-end maternity boutiques as well as regular departments. Emily couldn't deny she needed maternity clothing now. Thanks to a new breast size she now needed new bras and underwear. She dreaded this moment; she always hated trying on undergarments, until now she knew what fit and could grab it off the rack. All she had to worry about was the color and design. Emily was glad however that now she wasn't limited to "grandma panties." She was seriously considering writing a "thank you" letter to Victoria Secret.

Ryan's wife got the undergarment shopping over with first. She had a feeling she might enjoy the other shopping. At some of the high-end stores Emily bought some professional clothes for work as well some comfortable but stylish outfits. She stayed away from anything with flower prints, no matter how "cute" her mother thought they were and if she was paying for them. Emily couldn't resist buying a like blue t-shirt that read "_Unless you're the person who put this baby IN here, or the person who is going to take this baby __out__, you are __not__ allowed to touch my belly!" And another white one that read "Actually, I DID shallow a watermelon!" _She also got a black tank-top that read _F.B.I.: Funky Baby Inside. _To the expectant mother's own shock, she found some sundresses, with minimal flower or poke-a-dote prints.

"You didn't have to do this, mom." Emily told her mother while they ate lunch. "Really."

"I know I didn't _have_ to," Vanessa replied. "But I wanted to. And this isn't going to be your only set of maternity clothes for the next five months, I promise."

Ryan thought that Emily could make a paper bag look good. Still he thought she thought his wife looked great in the her new clothes when his mother-in-law insisted he get a "fashion show."

"Babe, you look amazing," he told his wife when she first stepped out in a periwinkle blue sun dress with tiny white flowers on it, he lifted her off of her feet and kissed her the same way he did when they were reunited. Ryan thought pregnancy was incredibly sexy, which was a mystery to his wife. Ryan laughed at the t-shirts Emily had bought. They suited his wife's sense of humor and personality.


	12. How?

_**How?**_

Nobody had asked before how Ryan had proposed to Emily. In fact, there wasn't a typical proposal. They were looking out at the ocean from their balcony, their arms wrapped around each other when they both looked up at each other and in unison said "Marry me."

They were married that evening at the magistrate's house a few minutes away after making a quick trip to the jewelry store Ryan had insisted on getting Emily an engagement ring, however. Even she was going to be his fiancee for just an hour before becoming his wife. Emily thought the joint proposal was romantic, despite being unconventional. Vanessa was the first to ask about it.

"Adorable," she said.

When Emily had first told her that she and Ryan got married on vacation she wasn't the least surprised. It bothered her that her youngest daughter lived so far away but she had a feeling that she and Harry would making many more trips to Miami in the future. She was not worried one bit about going back to Massachusetts and being so far from her pregnant daughter in Florida. Vanessa knew that Emily couldn't be in better hands than those of Ryan Wolfe. though she wished Emily and Ryan were closer Vanessa realized that they had their own lives and shouldn't have to uproot themselves to be closer to her just because they were having a baby.

* * *

Emily was five months pregnant today. Sometimes days the pregnancy seemed to going so fast, on rough days it was going so slow. She couldn't wait to meet Bella. Even though she was only twenty weeks into her pregnancy Ryan had them already signed up for childbirth classes when the thirty-two week point was reached. The _concept _of drug-free birth sounded great to the mother-to-be but she was realistic, if she needed pain medication during the birth then so be it, she wasn't going to let any overbearing person, midwife, nurse or doctor or otherwise make her feel guilty about it. And the same went for breast-feeding, Emily just wasn't doing it. If she could give birth naturally at a hospital, then so be it. She wasn't even remotely thinking about a home birth, As it was, the midwife who worked with her doctor and was also going to attend the delivery was one who thought it was a woman's right to chose what was best for her to make the birth a positive experience, not a traumatic one. it wasn't "selfish" to use pain medication if needed. Both medical professionals were open to Ryan being involved in the birth of his daughter, if the delivery was without complications, he was welcome to deliver the baby girl himself if that was what he and Emily desired.

"I'm fat," Emily said, aloud to herself, looking at her rounding figure in the full-length mirror. Her craving of the evening had been McDonald's . She felt fat prior to the guilty pleasure so she wasn't beating herself up over that indulgence. She had enjoyed the plain double cheeseburger and large fries with lots of ketchup. Her husband had a big mac with fries.

"I heard that!" Her husband said from the living room.

"Good! Your ears are working!" Emily called back.

She wasn't in a good mood this evening. Ryan knew it and realized it was a time when she needed her space for a while. She told him she appreciated his hug and kiss though. She knew he would be a shout away if she needed or wanted him. Shortly afterward Emily came out of the room and in a pair lounging pants and one of Ryan's MDPD t-shirts. While others couldn't or had to ask for permit to touch her growing belly, Ryan never had to ask to touch her and talk to their baby daughter. He immediately put his hand on his wife's rounding abdomen. He felt a light kick on his palm. Bella always seemed to kick whenever Ryan touched Emily. Emily was beginning to believe she was carrying a daddy's girl, something she didn't mind one bit. The couple had found out while eating that Calleigh and Eric were getting married in six weeks in a small ceremony in Eric's family's backyard. The bachelor and bachelorette parties for the couple were the following Saturday night. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean Emily couldn't party with the girls, and the strippers they had hired to entertain. Emily never needed alcohol to have a good time, especially when strippers were involved.

Strippers were also hired for the groom's party.

Ryan had cautiously asked his wife if she felt threatened by his viewing of erotic dancers. Emily was not in the least, she knew some pregnant woman would be however, that was why her husband had asked. Besides, unlike male dancers, female exotic dancers had "look but no touch" policies. If anything, she knew the occasion would be sending her and Ryan home to have sex afterward.

"I guess you don't know about the strippers that we hired for Calleigh's party," Emily said.


	13. Letters to Bella

_**Letters to Bella**_

Eric and Calleigh's wedding was a short but sweet affair. After a brief reception the two were off for a three-week honeymoon in Puerto Rico. The two were taking advantage of their rare time off and were getting clear away from Dade County and their cellphones. Emily was glad that the ceremony was brief, she was tired out from the Miami heat of the day. To accommodate the small group of children at the event and try to keep them getting cranky from being over-heated, the caterer had ice cream, 27 flavors to be exact. Of course the adult guests were allowed to have it, too. The ice cream was only reason Emily didn't start to feel cranky from the heat, herself. And she would have been as bad , or worse than the children.

Emily had started a journal of letters to her unborn child, some were longer and more emotion-filled than others. She often found more inspiration to write these letters at night. She had already written how she and Ryan met, about their childhoods and teen years together, and how they had to part, then how they got reunited. Ryan didn't interrupt her if he woke and saw her at the small desk in the room. Most of the time he was such a solid sleeper that he didn't even wake when his wife got out of bed. He didn't this night. On this night Emily write:

_Dear My Precious Bella,_

_Your Uncle Eric and Aunt Calleigh's wedding was today. It was a sweet event that seemed to be a long time coming. Then again many people would say that about me and your daddy now having a life together and expecting you. Some people think and have told us that daddy and I moved too fast, that we should have taken a t"time-out" for us before we jumped into marriage and parenthood. But mommy and daddy felt very different, we wanted you so much. If we had got the chance to stay in the same state, I guarantee you, you would have been here a long time ago, you would probably in kindergarten with a baby brother or sister by now. _

_But that's the past and I have you and daddy now. You were both worth the long wait in spades, my darling._ _Today at the wedding they played "I will always love you." Well, little one, let me tell you, for eleven years that song had the power to make me turn into a puddle of tears on the floor because it made me think of your father and wonder where he was. Now it still does, but since we're not apart anymore, it makes me smile. _

_I overheard one of uncle Eric's relatives ask daddy today if he was happy that you were a little girl and not a little boy and he looked super surprised when daddy said he wasn't. That was never a worry for me, baby girl. Someone else at the wedding joked, asking me if we were going to name you, Ryanna_, _after your dad since_ _you're our first. That's the equivalent of Ryan Junior for a girl and I'm sure you've heard how much I __hate_ _that. But don't worry, I'm sure by the time you're in school this Twilight craze will have passed and no one will tease you for being named Bella Wolfe!_

_By the way, neither mommy or daddy has seen the movies and you're not named after any character! Even if we did, we wouldn't have done that to you! We just thought the name was beautiful._

_Good night, baby girl. Mommy loves you._

Emily put her pen down, stretched and yawned. She walked across the room and slide back into bed next to Ryan. He woke this time and wrapped an arm around her pregnant belly.

"Writing another letter to our girl?" He said sleepily.

"Yeah," she replied.

"I don't know if the guys would make fun of me," Ryan said. "But I started a book of letters for her, too."

"As macho as Eric and Frank like to be, I doubt they would and something tells me Horatio definitely wouldn't."

Emily hadn't known her husband's boss too long but had feeling he was one of the best candidates for fatherhood on the planet. Frank may have had the title of godfather to their baby but Horatio Caine was absolutely going to be a special uncle.

_I know it's back-to-school season, but __**PLEASE, **__please read and review!_

**_Next: Daddy's letters to Bella_**


	14. Daddy's Letters

_**Any spelling/grammar mistakes in any chapter are mine! Sorry in advance! I write late at night and type fast!**_

_Hello? Is anyone reading this? I haven't had any reviews since chapter 11!_

_**Daddy's Letters to Bella**_

Ryan felt compelled to write a letter to his yet-to-be born daughter after seeing the 24-week ultrasound. He still had nearly an hour on his lunch break. He sat in the front seat of his car and wrote away.

_Hey Sweetheart,_

_It's your daddy, again. _

_We got to see your face on the ultrasound again. You're beautiful, you definitely take after your mom. I think she would agree, but I didn't want them to turn off the machine; I wanted to keep looking at you. The laws of genetics say you'll probably have my hair and eye color but hopefully otherwise you'll take after your mom! Technically you could be here now, but you would be very tiny and even if you thought you were, you're __NOT READY YET__, you hear me? Daddy loves you so much and I can't wait to see and hold you in my arms but I can wait, being you need to be inside mommy a lot longer. _

_I'm sick of people asking and assuming I'm disappointed that you're a girl, not a boy (something else according the books I'm responsible for). I'm __thrilled__ you're a girl, It bothers me that people assume I wanted a son over a daughter. But they obviously __don't__ know me. Yes, I know that the possibility that the ultrasound is wrong and you're a boy. Just so you know that's fine, too!_

_Mommy has started shopping for you and you will definitely not be in pink or frills, you better get used to flashbulbs, baby girl, your mom's a real shutterbug. But what am I saying? The first hours and weeks you're here, I'm going to be like that, too! _

_Well, sweetie, I have to go back to work, now. I'll see you and mommy tonight._

_Love You Always,_

_Daddy_

_xox_

_P.S. I signed me and your mom up for prenatal classes today. She doesn't know yet and is no doubt going to be mad with me; she thinks the classes are 'stupid' and would prefer to 'wing it' at the hospital but I'll talk her into it, your dad's got the charm._

Though the couple was prepared for a baby girl, as a back-up plan Emily was buying some gender neutral clothing and some boys' outfits. The room could always be repainted. The baby would be in a bassinet in the room with her parents.

* * *

Emily was home sooner than Ryan and received the phone call confirming she and Ryan were signed up for prenatal classes.

And Ryan was right. Emily was pissed.

The two had discussed the classes for a week. Emily said she thought they were dumb and not really needed if the couple wasn't absolutely intent on a drug-free birth. Moreover, Emily was _not_ interested in viewing all kinds of "scary" childbirth videos. She thought they would give her nightmares. Ryan argued that natural birth or not the classes would be good for them, give them a "heads up" on what to expect. Neither one could change each other's view. When Ryan asked Alexx her opinion, the woman said while she could "absolutely" see why Emily was scared about the classes, thinking about her experience as a first-time mother years ago. But she agreed with Ryan that the classes would be beneficial.

"Sign up anyway," she told Ryan. "What's the worst she can do to you?"

"Put me there," Ryan quipped, pointing to the empty autopsy table.

Alexx laughed.

"In that case, leave me out of it."

* * *

Ryan knew from his wife's expression he was in trouble when he arrived home. But he also knew how long she could stay mad at him for an issue of this size.

It wasn't very long.

Holding her Ryan told his wife while he had his own opinion, he understood why she was scared as well. But he reassured he would always go with her. The classes were for _them_, not just her. If there was ever a time when Ryan couldn't go, Emily didn't go, either. The same if he ever had to leave a class. Though she was no longer mad at Ryan, Emily did take the opportunity to smack Ryan upside the head.

"That was for not telling me before the hospital called," she said.

"All right," Ryan laughed, "I deserved that."

Some at the lab still couldn't believe Ryan Wolfe was going to be a dad. One of the lab techs said to Calleigh that he "wondered if that was going to work."

Calleigh snorted.

"Regardless, it's done. Besides you don't have the right to judge Ryan on anything if you don't know him. Why would his child's existence affect _you_?"

The man shrugged and then said "someone said he met her on internet chatline and married her after a few weeks. Not a good recipe for having a baby, that's all."

Calleigh laughed.

"Where ya hear that tale? Ryan and Emily were childhood sweethearts. They only met again by chance."

Even more, the thought of _Ryan Wolfe_ using the internet to meet a woman was hilarious.


	15. Beginning of

_**Reviews, people, Reviews! C'mon! Write something!**_

_**The Beginning of Happy Birthdays**_

Even if some scientists were now finding that there were some genetic causes of OCD Ryan Wolfe highly doubted it was the case with himself. He firmly believed it all had to do with his "messed up" childhood and the emotional rejection he suffered from his parents. None of his relatives had the problem. And since children usually learn behaviors from their parents, the father-to-be was determined that Bella not pick up his OCD tendencies. Ryan was confident his OCD wouldn't be an issue in his helping care for his baby daughter.

Ryan would be damned if he let it.

Ryan's thirtieth birthday's was this week.

Normally, turning thirty would bother a person and normally Ryan wouldn't even celebrate his birthday. But this year had been the best year of Ryan's life. He was married to the person he had loved since he was a boy and in a few months they would have a beautiful daughter. He, Emily and the team were going out to dinner for his birthday on the Friday of the week. Emily kept asking her husband what he wanted and he kept telling her he didn't want anything; he had got what he had wanted after eleven years of being lonely when the two found each other again.

_"You're all I thought about for the last 11 years," Ryan told Emily the first night they were together. "No one ever filled that the void in my life."_

That night, for the first time in years he felt whole. Ryan had many nights when he had dreamed of Emily and cursed when he awoke and she wasn't next to him. She was somewhere across the country. Emily had similar nights, only she didn't wake up cursing, she woke up in tears. Since that moment in a Miami restaurant now nearly a year ago, neither thought about that now. They had the present and future, the past was gone. Neither parent-to-be took for granted just how lucky they were to conceive their baby so fast and for Emily's pregnancy to be going so smoothly, either. Life was going so well it was almost unbelievable.

His in-laws were in the process of selling their business. Along with their new granddaughter being there, Miami sounded like a great retirement destination from the cold winters of Massachusetts. The couple had found a nice apartment a few blocks from the Wolfes' place. They may have wanted to be closer to Emily and the baby but they didn't want to smother them or make Emily and Ryan think they moved there to "take over" the baby. Vanessa and Harry knew how insulting that would be and that the young couple were going to make incredible parents anyway. _If_ they tried "taking over" they imagined how fast that would end. Bottom line, they were moving to Miami to be dotting grandparents, not parents, to Bella. They wanted to be able to watch their granddaughter when her parents went for "date night" and be able to drive down the street and visit.

But not everyday.

Emily and her husband had lives and so did they.

* * *

Vanessa and Harry were going to be settled in Miami two months before their grandchild was due to be born. The first time grandmother was asked several times by friends whether she was going to be in the labor room when her grandchild was born. Some just assumed she would be there. Vanessa personally thought having more than the father there in a stable, loving relationship like Emily and Ryan's was ridiculous.

"Don't get me started on people who invite a bunch of family and friends in to watch!" she said. "That's crazy! It's not a party!"

Of course, if Emily had _wanted_ her mother, it would be different. She knew this was not the case. The expectant couple thought that the delivery room "guest list" was ludicrous as well. The birth of a child was supposed to be as private an affair as possible, what crazy person wanted an audience? For Bella's mom and dad, unless you were necessary medical staff, if you weren't present during conception, you didn't get to witness the birth.


	16. The Detective

_**Is ANYONE reading this? Do I have to threaten to stop writing to get reviews? :)**_

_**The Detective...and the Kitten**_

"Is that what you're were doing all night?" Ryan said sweetly to his unborn daughter, his palm resting on Emily's stomach. The baby was kicking up a storm. "No wonder your mom couldn't sleep!"

Emily smiled when Ryan kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I'm taking a personal day for a nap, since I can't have a couple of cans of Pepsi Max to stay awake. Regardless of what she does today, I guarantee you, I'll sleep!"

Ryan laughed.

"Okay. I love you both. I'll see you this evening," he said, kissing Emily deeply. "And don't forget to eat breakfast."

"We love you, too," Emily said, touching Ryan's cheek.

She followed him to the door and locked it behind him before heading back to bed.

Ryan didn't think he heard Eric correctly.

_Frank had adopted a __kitten__?_

For a while everyone had been telling the detective he should get a dog so he could have someone to greet him and keep him company when he was home. Frank's apartment complex had regulations about the size and type of dog a tenant could own. So far Frank couldn't find a canine pal to take home from the local shelter. However the previous evening he had made a trip there and still couldn't find the right dog, but instead he told Eric and Horatio he "fell in love" with a brown and white 8-week-old kitten with blue eyes that had been bought in that morning.

"All she had to do was blink her eyes at me and she had me," Frank had told Eric.

Horatio was there, he looked down, shook his head, smiled and said "Frank, if I were you, and I wanted to maintain my image, I would _not_ repeat that story!"

Frank named the kitten Sophie and so smitten with her that the kitten was now sleeping in his bed with him.

_This is too good!_ Ryan thought. He _couldn't _wait to see Frank.

The detective knew he was in for it the second he saw Ryan late in the afternoon.

And by that time, Frank had been seen showing off pictures of Sophie. Ryan had to admit as kittens went, Sophie _was_ cute but the amount of pictures Frank had taken in less than twenty-four hours was over-kill and grounds for a good ribbing. Ryan had taken the liberty of telling his wife as well. He knew she was as good, or better at teasing and if she saw Frank she'd make him turn red.

Emily came into the lab shortly before Ryan's shift was over. A friend of hers dropped her off and she helped her shop for a party. She would drive home with Ryan. She was laughing and chatting with Calleigh and Natalia when she saw Frank. The girls had been having a laugh at the t-shirt Emily wore, on it was written _It Started With A Kiss and Ended with this! _With an arrow pointing downward to her belly. The detective didn't know Ryan was talking to his wife previously.

"Hey Frank? My eyes are blue. If Ryan wasn't around and I batted my eyes at you, would you take me home and let me sleep in your bed?" She grinned.

Frank groaned and blushed.

"He told you," he said.

"Sure he did! Besides that's law of the house, he thought it was too good to keep to himself! I'm not a cat person myself but can I see a picture of Sophie?"

Emily had to admit that Sophie was very cute, too bad she wasn't going to stay a tiny kitten.

'Law' or not, Ryan did pretty much told his wife everything, except for confidential things from work. She was his best friend after all. Some people couldn't understand how Ryan and Emily spent so much time together and didn't get on each other's nerves. His wife coming to his job and driving home with him that day was something he enjoyed. He had spent eleven _long_ years without her, if Ryan could, he'd spend every second of his life with her. The same went for Emily with him. Before the couple left Ryan told Frank that Sophie couldn't come to his birthday dinner the next night.

"The restaurant doesn't allow kittens, you might wanna call a babysitter," Ryan said. "She's too small to stay alone."

"Shut up, Wolfe!"


	17. Happy Birthday, Wolfe!

_****_

Happy Birthday, Wolfe!

His friends had never seen Ryan happy like this and it was great to see. The difference one person had made in his life was astounding. No one made a big deal out of the fact he wasn't drinking. Horatio even offered to give him and Emily a ride home since Emily wasn't comfortable driving at night. Saying nothing to each other both noticed Calleigh wasn't drinking. She or Eric never said why or really acknowledged it to anyone at the gathering. The Wolfes were suspecting that Calleigh might be pregnant.

That was in fact the case. But she was less than six weeks. Horatio and Alexx were aware of Calleigh's condition because it was mandatory and Calleigh was now restricted to the lab, But the couple had chosen not tell anyone of the pregnancy till Calleigh was further along. Horatio and Alexx agreed to stay mum on the topic. Ryan was supposed to work the weekend of his birthday but Walter and Natalia said they would cover for him so he and Emily could be together and because his in-laws were moving to Miami that weekend and Ryan would be helping Harry move things in. The older couple had paid the movers extra for them to help put the beds and other furniture together wanting to make the process faster. Emily couldn't deny she was glad that her parents were living closer. Her mother wasn't the intrusive type so she didn't worry about her parents wearing out their welcome. They already seemed to be making friends with the neighbors in the complex. There were a lot of residents there who had moved after retirement and a handful had moved to be closer to their children and grandchildren. On her first day at the complex Vanessa had met a woman who was a first-time grandma-to-be like herself. She had moved from Ohio to be closer to her son and daughter who had been in Florida for years. Over lemonade and muffins, the woman, Glenda told how she and the expectant couple were "in a row" because Glenda wanted to be present at the birth so badly and the couple wanted it to be just them. Glenda had said her daughter-in-law's mother wanted to witness the birth as well but hasn't felt "entitled" to, like Glenda.

Vanessa bit her tongue, thinking again what an evasion of privacy this would be for the parents-to-be if they let the woman be there only because she contentiously pestered them and because they wanted to keep peace. All Vanessa stated in reply was "as much as I would love to see Bella be born, I think it's mom and dad's right to experience it alone. They were the only ones involved in conception. I wouldn't take that moment away from Ryan and Emily."

The Studmans wouldn't be the only ones pacing the waiting room of Dade Memorial Hospital. The team would be as well. Emily knew she couldn't stop her parents from being in the waiting room, it would been futile to try. Her mother was aware how long it could take to give birth, though she hadn't given birth to Emily, she had to her older two, James and Haley. If she was willing to hang around that long she was welcome to.

* * *

By Sunday afternoon, Calleigh had confided in Emily was pregnant.

"I know," Emily smiled.

Along with not drinking at the Friday dinner party, Calleigh was refusing sushi, something she normally indulged in. Pregnant or not, Emily would starve before she ate sushi because pregnant women at any stage were advised to not eat it because of the bacteria it could contain. Ryan chuckled that this was going to the ensuing months difficult for Eric. It was like taking Chinese food from Emily, very dangerous. Luckily there was nothing in the Chinese dishes his wife liked she wasn't allowed to have.

"How'd you know?" Calleigh asked.

"The sushi was the ultimate give-a-way."

The group had gone to a Japanese steak house where the food was prepared at the customer's table.

Calleigh laughed. "If it hadn't been Ryan's birthday and it wasn't one of your and his favorite places to eat, I would've been really pissed at you two."

"Well, look at the bright side! With the prices there I doubt we'll eating there often after the baby's born."

Horatio, Alexx, Natalia and Frank and paid the whole group's tab behind their backs. Both couples could use the money. As for eating there now, Ryan thought it was right for him to pamper and indulge his pregnant wife. Since it was his birthday, Ryan didn't protect his meal being paid for.

"I think your mom and dad are pretty moved in," Ryan said to his wife arriving home Sunday. "I'd hate to be your dad, having to ever so carefully arrange your mom's crystal figurines! I thought _you_ had a lot!"

"And if he breaks one, Walter's cell is gonna ring," Emily giggled.

* * *

The clips of childbirth classes Emily saw online caused her both to roll her eyes and shiver at the same time. But she still thought it was lame. She and Ryan started prenatal classes tonight. Her skin crawled at the thought of 7:30pm, on the other hand, Ryan was excited and very much looking forward to going which made her want to smack him upside his head.

"C'mon. It won't be so bad, babe," Ryan said, squeezing his wife's hand as they walked though to the hospital parking lot toward the side entrance of the hospital which led to the solarium which the class for expectant couples was held. "Remember we're gonna do it our way when the time comes. No matter what anyone says."

"I know," Emily said.

"And I'm not gonna let anyone try to make you feel bad about anything we chose to do."

That Emily had no doubt about.

The first class, as Emily suspected was not bad; it was the "suck in" class. Strictly the couples introducing themselves, telling a little about themselves and the instructor being given the general preview of what was to come. Ryan's wife knew and shivered knowing her loving husband would be making sure that they practiced"all these dumb focused deep breathing and relaxation exercises."

That was just Ryan. He always liked to be prepared for things, in contrast, Emily usually liked to "wing it." The one thing about the classes that excited Emily about the classes was the fact it was sign of how much closer they were to meeting their daughter for real. She couldn't deny she was going to the massage part of the course; Ryan had great hands. Ryan kept it to himself but he was even more sure he was going to enjoy the classes, just for the chance to be so close to his wife.


	18. Classes

_Reviews, reviews, people!_

_**Classes & Hormones**_

Alexx Woods smiled as Ryan talked to her about enjoying the previous night's class. Even if Emily thought everything else was stupid Alexx believed the expectant mother would enjoy getting to be so close to Ryan and the massage part.

"That's great, baby," she said. "How do you think Emily did?"

Ryan smiled. "She said she knew this one wouldn't be so bad 'cause it was the 'suck in' class."

"Well, she's right there, really," Alexx acknowledged. "And you can tell her even though I'm a doctor, when I was in her position, I _despised_ practicing everything from the classes, too."

"Really?" Ryan asked. "I can't see what's so bad about it."

Alexx scoffed at her surrogate son. "That's because one, you like to be so prepared. Two, change positions, honey, and you'd feel different."

* * *

Clothes shopping for Bella was in full-swing now. Ryan's mother-in-law was itching to buy the frilly pink variety but Emily was having none of it. Ryan thought Vanessa was brave to challenge Emily at the this point in her pregnancy when her mood swings were more frequent and a comfortable sleeping position was for the most part, elusive. Once or twice he had been with his wife and mother-in-law when Vanessa picked out what Emily referred to as "Toddlers and Tiaras" outfits for their baby. He might not have been a baby fashion expert, Ryan had to admit the outfits too fancy for tiny babies; they might be good for a realistic-looking life-size doll; they didn't puke and use diapers. Most people thought photos of baby girls in frilly clothes on the wall were cute. Emily thought you could get "little girl cute" for pictures without going all "baby beauty pageant."

Vanessa had forgotten about how strong hormones could be in pregnancy. After a short span of time she realized why _she, _notRyan were getting her daughter's wrath at moments, it for two reasons. Ryan was doing anything to keep Emily happy and comfortable for the moment and most importantly he wasn't already making plans to make Bella a "personal dress-up doll" the way she half-consciously doing. Emily's mother realized her daughter would have no problem either returning an item to the store or donating it to goodwill if she didn't want her child to wear it, regardless if her mother bought it. The clothing issue pushed Emily's buttons and that didn't help her general hormones.

* * *

Now that they were together again the two didn't talk about when they were apart. If they couldn't change it, why focus on it? Only occasionally, during particular moments did they mention they "missed this" for the eleven years of separation.

"I missed this," Ryan said, her wife's head resting on his lap one evening watching _The Glades_.

Emily had remembered one advantage to having her mom closer; her cooking. She had sent over Emily's favorite pork chops and mashed potatoes for dinner.

"What? My mom's pork chops?" Emily teased. She knew what he really meant.

Them being to lay together, doing nothing at the end of the day.

Ryan just chuckled, continuing to run his fingers through her hair. "No," he said.

Emily wouldn't say it aloud but she was enjoying one aspect of the prenatal classes, being so close to Ryan. They had had their second class the night before and the introduction to the "funny breathing"exercises had started. Emily's nightmare. But it her surprise, Emily wasn't the only mom-to-be embarrassed at the thought of doing these in the room full of people. And the instructor didn't scold them for that feeling. She told the couples just to focus on themselves and pretend like it was just them in the room.

It worked, some.

She felt much more comfortable doing them at home but she was still uncomfortable. Ryan continuously assured her that they were in this together and he was there with her through it all. Both at the classes and at home she could feel and hear him breathing with her. It _was_ a very reassuring feeling. It was hard to believe that Emily's due date just less than ten weeks away. The baby shower that Emily wasn't supposed to know about, planned by Alexx and Vanessa and taking place at Alexx's because it was bigger, was two weeks away. Emily had overheard her husband briefly talking to Alexx about it on the phone to arrange the best date and to get Vanessa's cellphone number. One hadn't to know Emily that well to know she had near super-sonic hearing. Ryan had _thought_ she were still sleep; she had dosed off briefly in their room while reading.

She wasn't going to spoil the women's happiness; she would act surprised at the time. Everyone was coming to the shower, even guys. No silly games, just food, friends and gifts for Bella.

* * *

"And then she yelled at me and cried, telling me it's _my_ fault she can't have sushi," Eric told Ryan.

Ryan laughed. Eric's pregnant fiancee's mood swings were starting early.

"Well, it took two of ya and I doubt she'll blame herself," he replied.

"You can't tell me you don't get something similar," Eric huffed.

"Sure I do," Ryan shrugged. "The back of my skull is just immune to being hit by now."

The one thing Emily _loved_ that she couldn't have now was pepsi max. The drink was loaded with caffeine and her doctor warned not to drink it while pregnant. This had a tendency to make Emily grumpy.

Her husband was used to this by now.

"My ex-wife used to throw the nearest thing in her reach at me," Frank said. "And usually aimed it at my head."

"That's what happened!"Eric said.


	19. On the Job

_I'm starting to think "if you can't say something nice" policy is going on with this story! :(_

_**On-the-Job Horror**_

A jealous, violent man, a wrong number with a seductive message had resulted in a dead expectant mom. Horatio hated to put Ryan through this scene but he was only other CSI available. He was glad that at least Walter was able to be there. Anyone who had a soul would traumatized by what they saw but at least Walter wasn't married with a baby on the way. Caroline Waterman was married and expecting her first baby, a boy, ironically to named Ryan. Her husband, Elliot was a jealous, violent man. A man had dialled the home's number and left a seductive message meant for his girlfriend, on the answering message. Caroline couldn't convince Elliot it was a wrong number, the message wasn't for her and she wasn't cheating him. Elliot punched his wife in the face, breaking her nose and knocking her unconscious before picking her up and throwing her body over the stairs. The woman died from a broken neck in seconds.

The man first said his wife's death was an accident, she was on the top of the stairs, lost her balance and fall. There was something about the man's demeanor made Horatio and the others disbelieve him. It was apparent the man, underneath his exterior he was ready to explode with rage. Besides this, plus the fact his wife's nose was bleeding, moved to the side of her face, the woman was dead at least six hours. The man was immediately taken into custody. It didn't take long for the man to break down and confess.

And blame his wife for her own death.

He told Eric and Horatio about the message on the machine. Walter had already found the message. He had tracked down the number and he and Ryan were on their way to talk to the caller, a man named Jayson. Jayson had only realized that he had made a one-digit misdial after hanging up. He hoped the mistake would just be embarrassing and was horrified to hear the call may have caused not one, but two murders. Under Florida law, Caroline's baby was considered a victim since the baby could now survive outside the womb if born. Ryan called Horatio in interrogation and let him know what they had found out.

Elliot raged about the phone call, calling his wife a "whore." Previously he told Horatio that Caroline was "stupid" and "useless." No matter he did, Elliot said, he couldn't "smarten her up". He killed her because he was adamant she was cheating. As for the baby, he "didn't want it anyway." He was "glad it went away with her." There had been virtually no chance of saving the baby. After a pregnant woman dies, her baby has only moments to live. When police and paramedics arrived, the woman's body was already cold.

Eric informed the man the phone call he was referring to was indeed a mistake, but mistake or not, he had no right to murder his wife and now he would have to face the consequences.

* * *

"You okay, baby?" Alexx asked Ryan gently when he and Walter returned to the scene and continued processing.

The victim's body had already been removed and was on the way to the morgue.

Ryan sucked in his breath and nodded. This was part of the job and he had to suck it up. He couldn't avoid certain things because of marriage and impending fatherhood. He hoped he could make the world even a bit of a better place for his daughter.

The other expectant father at the lab, Eric, was surprised at how much he was able to control himself in the interrogation room. Inside he had wanted to crack the man's skull.

"You did well, Eric," Horatio complimented the younger man.

"Thanks, H."

Horatio steadfastly refused to allow either Eric or Ryan to view the autopsy of Caroline Waterman. He would do so himself. It would involve the removal of her newborn son from her womb. Neither CSI had to see this at this point in his life. The lieutenant believed that both deserved to witness the miracle of birth before having to see something like this. Ryan was relieved not to view the post-mortem, he could imagine Eric was as well. Ryan didn't argue when Horatio told him to go home before five p.m.. Always happy to go home to his wife, getting there early after a rough day was going to feel great. He smiled to himself, the image of his wife and her very pregnant belly entering his mind. Emily strongly disagreed, but her husband thought she was the beautiful sight. He thought it was cute that she had taken to wearing his shirts when she were just relaxing at home. Emily seldom watched the news, it all being for a most part depressing. But she could tell every time her husband had witnessed something more traumatic than usual. And she had heard something about the murder of a pregnant woman in the county by her husband. If her husband attended the crime scene she wouldn't have been surprised. Not that she intended to ask him.

"Hey babe," Ryan smiled, entering the living room of their home, seeing her with her feet up in his recliner.

Emily's job had her on desk duty now, handling responsibilities like photo shop products. Part of her was grateful to be off her feet and in the air-conditioning all day at this point in her pregnancy but she was also starting to get bored.

"Hey," she said, leaning into him as he kissed her head. Sensing his mood, Emily got out of the chair, stood up and gave her husband a hug. Ryan didn't resist. It was what he needed.

Badly.

Mood swings, pregnancy cravings and all he adored this woman and the baby she carried.

In her journal of letters to her baby daughter that night Emily wrote:

_Dear Bella. _

_I didn't ask him and it's not like he could really tell me, confidentiality rules and all that, nut I think your daddy saw something really bad. Not that anything he ever sees at work is ever"good,"_ _I guess I mean whatever he saw today got to him more than usual._ _You know that though because of all the extra kisses he gave you tonight. Chances are it's what mommy caught glimpse of on the news today. _

_Your dad's a very strong person, as is everyone he works with. I'd never be able to do his job. Well sweetheart, mommy's tired. I'm going to turn in for more hugs with daddy._

_I love you,_

_xoxxox_

_Mommy_

Ryan was indeed affected by what he had seen. He was still baffled by how one person could hurt another. He couldn't fathom putting his hands on Emily in a _remotely_ similar fashion. He had no right to; even if you're that angry, you kept your hands to yourself. Everyone on the team had to meet individually with the department therapist tomorrow. He was sure what kind of questions both he, Eric and Calleigh would be getting.

_Do you think this case affected you more because of your baby? _

_Do you think that parenthood is going to affect you ability do the job?, etc,... _

_I can hardly wait_, he thought sarcastically as he fell asleep.


	20. Firsts

_**Firsts**_

The couple had been each other's 'firsts.' Kiss, sexual experience and first black eye. The one creature in life, big or small, poisonous or not that Emily was petrified of was snakes. This had got Ryan his first shiner when they were fourteen.

_They were goofing around in a field with friends and the teenage Ryan decided to pick up a harmless garden snake and chase Emily with it. She ran screaming, loudly, to the amusement of all there. After Ryan had put the reptile down and Emily was __**absolutely**__ sure it was nowhere nearby, she socked Ryan._

Frank and Horatio got to hear this story when at the baby shower Frank said the two got along so well that Emily probably never even hit him before she was pregnant and her hormones kicked in.

"Oh yes, she has!" Ryan said.

He told the two the story about the snake in the field

"And she never even said she was sorry!"

"That's because you _deserved_ it! You're lucky I only hit you once!"

One of Ryan's buddies took the rap for the black eye, saying it happened during horseplay. Emily's parents had only found out the true story when she and Ryan reunited. The younger couple letting it slip, not remembering they had lied years ago. To this day Ryan thought the experience was "too funny" and to this day, Emily wasn't one bit sorry for giving him a black eye.

_As for their "first time" that was weeks later when they were both fifteen and since Ryan's parents didn't care what their son did, or whether or not he and his girlfriend were left alone in the house till one or two in the morning, the two had sex for they left alone in the evening and late into the night, till Emily had to leave to be home for her 1:30am curfew. Ryan walked her home. Since he was fourteen, Ryan's mother had left condoms in Ryan's sock drawer. They couldn't be bothered by their son, they certainly didn't want a grandchild. As far as Emily's end of the birth control, ever since he got her cycle at the age of thirteen, it had been problematic and irregular. Her doctor placed her on birth control to fix the issue. The primary purpose of the pill was a bonus, she was could have sex and not worry, or worry less about becoming pregnant. Young Emily may have loved Ryan but a baby at this point was something she did __**not**__ want. She was diligent about following the instructions on the label. Emily was sure her parents weren't stupid. Her parents had to know when she and Ryan had become sexually active. And Vanessa and Harry knew they couldn't depend on Ryan's parents to help "supervise" the teen couple. They figured they had done their part by making sure Ryan's always had condoms._

_The moment they heard the couple was reunited, the __**last**__ thing Vanessa and Harry wanted was for Ryan and Emily to have access to condoms._

* * *

Two more weeks and the couple would "graduate" from their prenatal class. The same week Emily was going on maternity leave. That would be thirty-three weeks, still too early for the baby to be born. Though she didn't intend to return to work but she didn't plan to formally quit till her maternity leave benefits ran out. She was considering freelancing her photography service after the baby was a year old. Her mom and dad were happy to babysit periodically. Ryan was fully supportive of his wife being a stay-at-home mom to Bella, and Emily was very much looking forward to the experience.

Calleigh was almost into her second trimester, at eleven weeks pregnant now. She admired Emily Wolfe's "beautiful" baby bump. She said she couldn't wait to have one like it. Emily smiled, thinking how "beautiful" could be _very_ uncomfortable.

Horatio knew he had sent the wrong CSIs to re-interview a witness, the moment Eric and Ryan stepped back into the lab, looking _very _pale. But then again it would probably be wrong to send any _man_. The woman was a veterinarian and she was in the middle of doing the equivalent of a human vasectomy on a dog. Both looked on in horror as the woman talked and nonchalantly tossed the Labrador's removed testicles in the trash can.

"He wouldn't miss it," she shrugged.

They both begged to differ and hoped their women didn't have the same done to them in the months to come.

Emily almost lost her breath she was laughing so hard at the expression on Ryan's face and complexion, or lack there of when he told her the story during dinner.

"She just yanked them out and tossed them in the garbage!" Ryan exclaimed. "I hope I don't nightmares tonight!"

"Relax, honey," Emily said, getting a breath between laughs. "I don't know the procedure but I know that's not the way it's done on humans."

Along with the prenatal class, the Wolfes were enrolled in a week long newborn care class. In his "Bootcamp for New Dads" course, Ryan got to hold an infant girl for the first time. Two-month-old Anya was the child of Adam, one of the two dads teaching the course. Anya was a fraternal twin, her twin sister Laura was across the hall, with her mom Leah, who was teaching the class for moms. Adam and Leah also had a five-year-old son. The CSI never had the thought that holding a newborn could feel so...soothing. Babies were very cuddly. Ryan was pleased to hear that you couldn't give a baby too many hugs and hisses. Adam and the other teaching dad, Ray, who had his three month-old daughter, Cori-Rae there, complimented Ryan seemed to have a way with babies. Anya definitely took a liking to him, crying when she was passed back to her father. Although he was surprised at his skill with babies, Ryan's wife wasn't when she heard about it when the two groups were bought back together at the end of the class.

"You think we're ready for this?" Emily asked.

The certificate in her hand stated that she and her husband had successfully completed the prenatal class. It was recommended that the couple practice the breathing and relaxation exercises daily. The two had taken to doing this in the bath tub at night. Ready or not, Emily at least was glad the course was over.

"As ready as anybody can get," Ryan said squeezing her hand.

In some ways she couldn't understand Emily was glad she wasn't due for another six weeks yet. She was feeling Bella move much more and enjoyed the sensation. Having her baby in her arms and seeing her in the flesh would be much gratifying, Emily thought she would miss at least this part of pregnancy.


	21. Any Day & New Life

_A double chapter! I decided it's finally time introduce the littest Wolfe! **I HOPE I GET MORE REVIEWS!**_

_**Any Day Now**_

According to the calendar Emily Wolfe was 39 weeks pregnant today. If she could skip the labor and delivery part and have the stork drop the baby off on the doorstop like in the cartoons she was absolutely ready to get this over with.

And meet Bella.

Ryan was excited as any expectant dad and now as jumpy as could be every single time his phone rang. Eric found it amusing but Horatio reminded him that he would be that way soon. At home every time his wife moved Ryan wanted to know why. On the evening of estimated due date. Emily threw a pillow at him when he asked.

"The same place I went fifteen minutes ago, the bathroom," Emily said, shaking her head.

"Oh. Okay," Ryan said putting his head back down on the other couch where he lay.

Emily didn't know whether she should find his nervous concern sweet or annoying. But at the moment he was really starting to get on her last nerve. She was this close to calling Alexx and asking her to come over and inject Ryan with something. Alexx called that night and Emily voiced her frustration. She saw him at work, the M.E. could only imagine what the father-to-be was like at home. In their prenatal class, the instructor had also put much emphasis on mom getting lots of hugs, something she and Ryan had _no_ problem with and even if he was massively irritating wanting to know her every move right now, Emily didn't sleep well unless she was hugged into Ryan's body and had her head on his chest at night.

"I love you, even though you bug me," she said, kissing him that night when she got into bed. "You're a great pillow."

Ryan smiled. "I love you, too. And I'm very happy to be your pillow."

Emily had seen the doctor that morning and there wasn't any sign of her going into labor yet. She had let Ryan know by text message, two simple words "no change" when she left the clinic. She told him she would do so, she would make a call and tell him more if she got different news.

"No news, huh?" Natalia said, standing next to him in the trace lab.

"Nope," Ryan said.

Ryan took a second to give his wife a call a few minutes later.

"No news, huh?"

"Nope. She wants me to see her again on Thursday."

That was in two days. Emily told him in more detail what the doctor said. The baby hadn't moved down any in preparation for birth, but that could also change "the moment she left the office."

That happened between then and his wife's next appointment. Then she told Emily that she could go into labor "any moment." She wasn't dilated any but the baby had "dropped." She told her patient that she should keep her husband "close to home."

And the mom and dad could still make love "to their heart's content." In fact, it might help induce labor. For some fathers-to-be, that was a turn-off. Not for Ryan. Making love to his pregnant wife was great, he was turned on, not off by her belly. If sex bought them closer to meeting their baby daughter then that were a bonus. Ryan and Emily were still making love at least once a week, sometimes twice.

_**A New Life**_

Six days after that Thursday, Emily began to experience contractions at five a.m.. Ironically she and Ryan finished making love at two. The contractions were mild and irregular, but considering the date, chances were high this was real and they would be on their way to the hospital very soon.

They were still at home when Ryan called work at 7:15am.

"That's fine, Ryan," Horatio said when the CSI called. "Keep us posted. And congratulations."

The couple were using the Bradley Method or "husband-coached childbirth." If she had to have drugs for pain, so be it, but after seeing the video of an epidural insertion during prenatal class, Emily hoped more she would be able to give birth naturally. Emily's water broke at nine a.m. and the two were at the hospital by quarter after ten. She was almost three centimeters when she arrived at Dade Memorial Hospital.

"It's all right, honey," Ryan said, giving her a hug as she began to shake in panic, standing up holding on the edge of the bed. "Shh. Breathe with me," he said, taking her face into his palms. "You can do it. That's it. Good for you. Good job."

Whether or not it sped labor along, the midwife suggested that the two walk around the hall a bit, even if it just took mom's mind off the pain. Emily knew Ryan didn't care who was watching them. His attention was totally on her when she had a contraction in the hall, he held her and supported her weight, whispering soothing words in her ear.

* * *

Calleigh cringed when Ryan called four hours later and there was still no baby. So far, Emily was still coping without pain medication. She was six centimeters dilated when Ryan called.

"Wolfe sounds like he's holding up good," Walter said.

"Someone has to,"Alexx said, smiling, "And it's not gonna be Emily."

* * *

"You're so strong, sweetheart," Ryan whispered to his wife, wiping her brow with a cool clothe. "You made it this far. This is almost over."

Emily whimpered. It was 4:30pm and the doctor told her she would have to start pushing in a few minutes.

"I can't," she whispered. "It hurts. I'm so tired."

At this point, Emily was beyond wanting pain medication. She wanted to be knocked out completely and have the doctor take the baby out.

Ryan kissed her cheek and moved her hair away from her face. "I know you're tired and I know it hurts, But You _can_. I know you can, baby."

"_Aghh!"_

Emily had been pushing for more than an hour.

"You can do it, baby! Keep going, keep it up!" Ryan coached her.

"Take a breath and do it again. Emily. You're almost there," the midwife said.

Emily pushed and screamed again.

"It's burning!" She exclaimed.

"Oh my god," Ryan said, his voice cracking with emotion, tears filling his eyes. He could see their baby, the top of Bella's head was beginning to crown, that was the sensation Emily was feeling. "_There she is! _Look down, you can see her!"

The sight served as an inspiration for Emily. She pushed as hard as she could three more times.

When the baby girl's airway was cleared and she was pulled from her mother's body, as planned, the midwife passed Bella to Ryan's waiting hands and he laid the baby on his wife's bare abdomen. The baby's cry filling the room. Both Ryan and Emily broke down sobbing seeing the child they waited so long for. The nurse let Ryan cut the umbilical cord, dried the baby girl off with a blanket and covered her with another one. They would leave the baby there for a while before weighing her.

"She's beautiful," Emily whispered.

She could scarcely believe she were holding her and Ryan's daughter. Twelve years ago, kneeling on the floor in a puddle of tears as she watched Ryan drive away, Emily thought she would be forever robbed of this precious moment.

"I - can't - believe- we - finally - got - here!" Emily sobbed.

"Me either," Ryan replied, tears running down his face like rain as he kissed his wife again. "I love you. You were awesome!"

Arabella Jasmine Wolfe, "Bella" did indeed have her father's brown hair and hazel eyes. She had her mother's nose and lips. She weighed in at seven pounds, twelve ounces. She didn't need to go to the nursery, After she was weighed, bathed and dressed in her first sleeper and Emily got a chance to clean up as well, the new family of three were left alone together. Of all the things that Ryan had ever witnessed, the birth of his daughter was the most incredible. It was shortly after six p.m. when Ryan called the lab with the news; not wanting to miss 'the call" all the team seemed to hanging around waiting to see if Ryan or one of his in-laws would call anytime soon. Excitement and cheers went through the lab when called Alexx and then Frank. Emily's parents were going to come to the hospital and see the baby tonight. Emily and the baby would be home by noon tomorrow and everyone else could drop in and meet her. Ryan made sure he forwarded Bella's picture to everyone's cellphones.

"She's got a ton of hair," Frank said, looking at the picture.

"A hint of jealousy there, Frank?" Calleigh teased.


	22. A Dream Realized

_Don't be lazy, people! I need reviews!_

_**A Dream Realized**_

A life with Emily and raising a family was all Ryan Wolfe ever wanted. He had stayed the night with his family at the hospital and the three walked through the door of their just before noon the next day. It felt like a dream for both parents. They knew there was a road ahead of them to adjust to parenthood but it was exciting. The new father had even changed some of her daughter's diapers while at the hospital and found out it was the "horror" that some men painted it out to be, or not yet anyway. Bella had just finished her first bottle at home when the team arrived. Alexx insisted they wait a few days but Ryan and Emily insisted harder that they visit. They were anxious to show off their daughter. If his friends thought Ryan's grin was wide on his birthday it was even bigger today. As long as they as known him Ryan had kept to himself how much he wanted a family of his own. They didn't even know for sure if Ryan liked children.

Now they had a definite answer.

"We're not disturbing her, are we?" Horatio asked.

"Not at all. She's wide awake. She just finished eating," Ryan answered.

"Oh my! She's gorgeous!" Calleigh exclaimed.

Emily smiled. Frank got to hold Bella first.

"You're a such a pretty girl," he said to the baby. "You must take after your mom."

"Nana Alexx" got to hold her next.

"You're so beautiful," she said to the baby. "Was she worth the wait?" She asked the new parents.

"For sure," they said.

Shortly after Alexx got the chance to ask Emily how she was feeling and how the delivery was. Emily was honest, saying she felt very good. She had some aches but minimal post delivery and she didn't have any stitches. She was _very_ cautious in describing the delivery in the presence of Calleigh. She would be blunt with details and the level of pain with Alexx later. But there was one thing that wouldn't change; how wonderful, loving and strong Ryan had been. Deep down she knew he wouldn't crack under the pressure of the situation and seeing her in so much pain but as a first-time father his confidence had surprised her some, if he was faking it for her sake, he had done a great job.

"You didn't want an Epidural?" Calleigh asked.

"No," was all Emily said.

By the time Emily's resolve break and she _wanted_ an Epidural, it was too late. That was when Emily started to wanted to knocked out cold. But Calleigh didn't need to hear that and be freaked out for the remainder of her pregnancy. The group didn't stay long and afterward Ryan laid a now sleeping Bella down in her bassinet.

"Sleep well, my darling," he whispered to her.

Emily was already half-asleep on their bed, wearing one of his t-shirts as a night-shirt. He smiled when she hugged into him immediately when he got into bed. Despite a full night sleep at the hospital the previous night, he knew she still had to be exhausted. He was so proud of her, the strength she had shown was beyond him. It dumbfounded him that even with the pain she had been in, pain that he had a part in causing, she told countless times during her labor how much she loved him.

* * *

All she did was eat, sleep, cry and mess her diapers but to her parents two-day-old Bella Wolfe was the most amazing human being in the world. Her thick brown hair was curly and if Emily wanted to, she could have already put it in bows.

"I think you're a nosy baby," Ryan said, talking to Bella as she lay in her bassinet in the center of the living room where they kept it during the day. "You don't wanna go to sleep 'cause you might miss something. You need a nap, you know."

Bella stared at her father, her fingers in her mouth.

Emily shook her head listening to Ryan talk to their daughter, trying to convince her to go for a nap. Leave it to him to try and negotiate with a newborn.

"What's next?" his wife said when she entered the living room shortly after. Ryan picked up the baby again, perhaps realizing the newborn wasn't capable to putting herself to sleep yet. "Bribery or threats?"

"I'm going with hugs," Ryan smiled.


	23. Portraits

_**Portraits**_

James Studman never forgot the day that his sister and Ryan Wolfe had to part for college. For almost an hour after he drove away, Emily was in a fetal position on the living room floor, sobbing for all she was worth. This was more than puppy love ending; James knew that his sister felt like she had lost a part of herself. She and Ryan belonged together. James didn't waver from the opinion that if Emily didn't marry Ryan, she wouldn't marry anyone.

Bella was lucky to have parents who had a bond that ran so deep.

James was clueless on how to hold a newborn baby. He held Bella like she were a cantaloupe, supporting her head and bottom, holding her away from him.

"She's not something you picked up at the produce section!" His mother scolded. Bella didn't like to be held this way and beginning to fuss. She liked to snuggle into a person's shoulder. "Here, sweetheart," she said to Bella, showing James how to correctly hold the baby.

Haley and James were staying at their parents apartment and returned there after a brief visit to meet the newest family member. Haley thought it was worth a picture when she was leaving, seeing Ryan and Emily laying down on their bed with Bella between them. As tired as they were getting with her waking faithfully every two hours to eat and for a diaper change, the new parents couldn't bare to be away from Bella. Haley and James had volunteered to go the grocery store and get the couple some groceries since they were going to the deli and bringing back dinner for the couple anyway. Haley laughed, she was guessed Emily would ask for Pepsi Max, something she had been "deprived" of during her pregnancy and some chocolate. She wasn't a coffee drinker like Ryan, no doubt she needed the shot of energy.

"Oh! _I almost forgot!_" Haley said, taking a photo out of her purse. It was a 4x6 photo of Emily and Ryan with their arms wrapped around each other in a bear hug, grins on their faces. They were four-years-old. "I found this. Thought you might want to enlarge it and put it in Bella's room."

Emily smiled at the photo and handed it to Ryan.

"Definitely," she said.

Her parents' wedding portrait was already on the wall of Bella's nursery. It would be perfect to have this one framed under it. There was also color and black and white portraits Emily's pregnant belly, separate childhood pictures of Ryan and Emily on the wall. From the background both remembered it from a preschool sports day. The duo had just won a three-legged race.

"I got ribbed for this photo. For a week, I was told I had cooties 'cause I let a _girl_ hug me," Ryan said.

After a week exhaustion was setting in for the new parents. They asked Vanessa to come over and take care of Bella simply so they could get some sleep. She may have been the most amazing human being in the world but caring for Bella was tiring. Vanessa decided to pass the time with her grandchild by looking through one of many of the photo albums of pictures her daughter had of her and Ryan's childhoods together. Even though Ryan was her in-law it made Vanessa smile at just how much Bella looked like Ryan.

"I always wanted your mommy and daddy to end up together. Somehow, even when college got them separated, I knew somehow things would work out. Even though it took so long. I know both mommy and daddy were so sad apart. Mommy cried for weeks when daddy moved away. She wasn't the same for months. She eventually got better but I knew every day she thought about daddy. It was a long time and she met other people who she seemed to like but I knew that none of those guys made her happy the way your dad did. She never smiled the same. For a little bit, mom and dad were able to stay in touch, even though mom was in North Carolina and Dad was here in Miami but then they lost contact.

"I couldn't see her face but when mom told me and said she had met up with daddy again but I knew the biggest smile had to be on her face. This time nothing was going to separate them. Poppy and I would have been happy for you to be conceived that very night."

Emily and Ryan were solid asleep practically the second they hit the bed. By the time they woke up Bella knew all about how her parents had held hands on field trips, sat together during snack time, shared animal crackers and laid next to each other during nap time. Vanessa had Bella fed, changed and dressed for bed at seven when her parents woke up but the baby girl fussed and refused to sleep. However, the moment Emily took her in her arms Bella started to blink.

"I guess she just wanted mom," Vanessa smiled.


	24. Ex's & Anniversaries

_**Ex's and Anniversaries**_

_**Rated "M" for couple fun**__**!**_

Ryan's first day back at the lab after Bella was born was a slow one so he got to show the stacks of photos he had of his three-week-old daughter. The photos of Bella enjoying her first bath at home after her umbilical cord stump fell off made Alexx and Calleigh laugh.

"She looks she's enjoying herself," Calleigh said.

Calleigh was now six months into her pregnancy. Emily Wolfe had told her there would be days pregnancy would "absolutely suck" and today was one of them for the expectant mother of twins.

"She was," Ryan said. "She looked a bit shocked at first, she didn't know what to think about it. Then she cried when we took her out! "

Ryan proudly told everybody that Bella was cooing and other noises. She tried to imitate noises her parents made. And now she seemed to only have eyes for mom and dad. She knew and preferred them over anyone else.

"That's completely normal. And I bet you two love it," Alexx said.

Ryan couldn't deny that one, even if they were tired all the time. Their baby's coos were enough to make both forget what time it was when Bella woke at night.

At home Bella Wolfe looked curiously around the living room when her mom carried her from the nursery.

"What ya lookin' for? You're still lookin' for dada, huh?" Her mom said. "He's not here, yet. He'll be back." In the kitchen Emily laughed out loud when Bella seemed to lift her head when she opened the door to the microwave to place a bottle of formula inside. "He's not in there, either."

Ryan smiled when he called home and his wife said his daughter was looking for him. He laughed when he heard that the baby was looking for him at every corner, even in the microwave. The two were forgetting that their first wedding anniversary was in less in eight weeks. Ryan remembered when Horatio asked if the two had anything planned. He told Horatio no, then also remembering that his in-laws were going to be out of town, visiting friends in Washington, D.C..

"Why not?" The lieutenant said. "Anniversaries are important."

`After the wait that the couple had put up with, Horatio thought the two should celebrate this one big time. Horatio had already volunteered to watch Bella when her parents spent their first night away from her when she was six-weeks-old. Even with the job being Horatio Caine's life there were days when it was mandatory for him to be off and he couldn't be called in either. Her parents thought it was important that their daughter be exposed to a wide circle of family and friends and Horatio already had a great rapport with Bella. It was apparent that he was looking forward to spending time with the baby girl. To make sure the new parents had the energy for 'other things' that night, Vanessa was coming over on that Saturday afternoon so the two could sleep. Emily laughed to herself knowing her mother believed that the last time she and Ryan had sex was weeks before Emily went into labor, not hours.

Her mother didn't need to know the difference.

A day prior to their anniversary weekend, Emily had the opportunity or misfortune to run into her husband's ex, Erica Sykes. Emily was completely aware that her husband had dated the television reporter and how sorely the relationship had ended. Not that Ryan cared that much about her, but he realizing Erica was just using him as a way to get easy story information to advance her career had been infuriating. Then she made fun of his desire to be a father. Erica "_never_ wanted to be a mother," she told Ryan. Pregnancy and the "mandatory leave she would have to take to look good" would ruin her career. _If_ and it was a big, she ever became a mother, it would be through a surrogate. If her husband wanted to continue to work, they would hire a nanny or he could "be the wife."

Erica had never seen Emily Wolfe so she didn't know her...till she ran into her while she and Bella waiting her parents to meet them for lunch. She ran into a co-worker who excitedly called her by her full name, said Bella was beautiful and asked about Ryan. Emily knew Erica was in the restaurant because several servers were making a big deal of it. Somewhere along the way Ryan told his ex about Emily and evidently it had to be positive toward Emily because Erica came over to Emily and said.

"Ah, so you must be _her._ The _famous Emily_ Ryan Wolfe could never stop talking about! I've heard _so much_ about you!" Erica said sarcastically.

_Same here, bitch,_ Emily thought.

Although she was sure it wasn't in the same fashion.

Having this woman in front of her after hearing all the pain and ridicule she had caused Ryan made Emily want to smack Erica Sykes so hard that no amount of professional make-up could cover it up.

"Yes, that would be me. And if I had my way, _Ms. Sykes_, Ryan would have never have met you in the first place, considering all you ever did was treat him as a _source_ and cause him grief."

Erica snorted.

"Now I see why he wanted _you_ so bad," she said. "Apparently _you_ were willing for him to knock you up and give up your freedom to raise a kid," she said, looking a sleeping Bella in the carrier on the table.

_**Touch **__my daughter and you'll regret it, _Emily thought_._

Evidently Erica Sykes had a "handler." Another woman in a business suit came over to her and told they should leave. It seemed that this person knew as well that Erica was trying to up the ante, get Ryan's wife to lose control so she could have her arrested for assault. But Erica Sykes handler or not, Emily wasn't buying into that. As much as she wanted to take a shot at this _bitch_, it would only cause trouble and she wasn't about to do that to Ryan, he had been though enough and unlike Erica Sykes Emily _loved_ Ryan and wouldn't add to his pain.

"And you know what?" Emily replied. "It's been a pleasure. Damn shame you passed up the opportunity 'cause you'll never have it again."

Ryan was proud of his wife for the way she had handled the situation, though part of him wished the law wasn't in the way because he would loved to know his wife had put Erica Sykes in her place.

"I'm proud of you, babe," Ryan said, kissing his wife hearing of the confrontation . It was shortly before they left for their weekend.

"I _hate_ what she did to you," Emily said to Ryan as she hugged into his chest.

"I know, baby," Ryan murmured. "But she's long past now. Though I can't say I wouldn't have liked it if you let her have it," he chuckled.

"My goodness, you're a chatty baby," Horatio said to Bella as she cooed away, her tiny fingers in her mouth. Bella had discovered her fingers and thought they were the best toy ever. "You don't mind that daddy and mommy are going out tonight, do you?" Bella was already comfortably snuggling in Horatio's arms.

Her parents had some but little anxiety leaving the baby girl. How could they with the contented sounds she was making? Harry told his daughter and son-in-law that they would enjoy having some alone time and warned them not to feel guilty. They weren't just mommy and daddy, "although they feel like that right now," They were a couple, too.

Both thought it was ironic that their "first time" after the birth of their baby daughter was on their first wedding anniversary. Books and many women had told Emily that the first time having sex after childbirth often hurt. Perhaps she was just lucky but Emily enjoyed it, as did Ryan, quite thoroughly...and vocally.

Personally Emily questioned why sex after childbirth would be painful, if a baby can fit through there, well, something else could fit _in_ there without pain.

_**New Rule! Reviews are **__**mandatory**__**!**_


	25. Bedtime Story Edits

_**Bedtime Story Edits**_

_I realize I already used the name Anya in this story but the former Anya (from the baby care class) mentioned is only a one-time character!_

Bella Wolfe had been getting lots of visitors while her parents were gone. Eric and Calleigh dropped by, as did Walter Simmons. The three stayed a while and all got to hold the baby, Horatio made sure both Eric and Calleigh changed a diaper and did a feeding.

"You two definitely need the practice," Horatio said, looking at Calleigh's seven-month pregnant belly.

Calleigh and Eric had got the news when she were three months along, most people had suspected it, but they had only confirmed to everyone that they were not having one, but two babies, better known as twins. Ryan and Emily had suspected this since Calleigh's first trimester, even if the two experiencing their first pregnancy. Her belly was much bigger than Emily's was at that point. It was a secret, because like Ryan and Emily they didn't want things with names printed on them but the two had picked out names for their unborn identical twin daughters, Anya Hope and Carly Joy.

At three and a half months old Bella Wolfe loved "tummy time" on the carpet, cooing away, "talking" to her mommy. She was almost twelve pounds now and beginning to hold her up for short periods as well. The little girl was looking more like her dad every day. Mom and daughter had just returned from Eric and Calleigh's. Five days ago the couple had been blessed with two beautiful daughters. Anya Hope and Carly Joy had been home with their parents for three days. The two were perfectly healthy to the delight and relief of everyone who knew them and their parents. Calleigh had made it to thirty-eight weeks pregnant before going in labor on her own, two days before her doctor planned to induce her. Though born in the O.R., a mandatory precaution, the girls weren't born by c-section. Both girls weighed over six pounds. Emily hadn't seen Calleigh and Eric more happy; the same the two said of her and Ryan three months and a half ago. Anya and Carly were the perfect mix of their parents. Tan complexions and brown hair with hint of golden blonde and chocolate brown eyes. Eric's parents and sisters were helping them out a lot since they had come home from the hospital and the new dad was off work for three weeks. The new parents were still running on pure elation. Calleigh was breast-feeding, supplementing with formula. Emily couldn't help but imagine how that was to add to their exhaustion. Breast feeding had to add to new mom exhaustion with _one_ baby, let alone two.

Ryan joked hat once exhaustion took over the two would be wondering what they got themselves into. Nevertheless, the Wolfes already knew the happiness the babies would bring their parents. Even though Mami and Papi could already tell their children apart no one else seemed to be able to. Calleigh told Emily while she was expecting that she could imagine the fulfillment a baby could bring to her life, but now that she was a mother herself she couldn't put that happiness into words. Horatio was the twins' godfather to nobody's surprise. For a man who had never experienced fatherhood, Horatio was incredibly relaxed with babies, like he had all the experience in the world.

"Where's daddy's cutie-pie? Tried mom out, did ya?"

Ryan smiled down at Bella who smiled back at him from her bassinet. Her mom was sound asleep on the sofa. No doubt Emily had put their baby down for a few moments and laid down herself for a break

And fell asleep. Bella had had somewhat of a fussy night and because he had to work over-time, Emily were up with her most of the night alone. The baby was evidently fine where she was, if she had started to cry Emily would have heard her, she was less than five feet away.

"Oh, hey," Emily said, waking up. "What time is it?"

"6:15. Don't worry, she's fine."

"Geez, it was 5:30 when I said I'd lay here for fifteen minutes. I guess Bella didn't mind my extended rest."

Ryan walked over and kissed his wife.

"Why don't you go in and go back to sleep for a bit? I got her."

Emily nodded.

"That sounds good. She might be hungry again soon, I fed her and changed her diaper 'bout 4:30."

"'Kay."

Ryan was definitely looking forward to some daddy- daughter time after not seeing Bella all night and all day. She had been asleep that morning when he left. Since she'd been born, Bella's parents had been doing infant massage with her after her bath. It was a contest who enjoyed it more, parents or baby. Bella would always coo and smile during her bath and subsequent massage, no matter what mood she were in before.

"What did daddy ever do without you and mommy?" Ryan said to his daughter.

He had decided to wait to have his own dinner with his wife, he fed his daughter her bottle and bathed her, following with her standard massage. After that it was story time. A child was never too young for that. Emily laughed when she looked in the nursery, Bella in Ryan's arms in the rocker. He was reading _The Three Little Pigs_ to her; except for there was no big bad wolf, there was a weasel. Ryan explained that this was because he didn't want their daughter to "get a complex" or "think it was okay to be a bully."

"Whatever you say, dear," she said, shaking her head. "But you better make it a _huge_ _weasel_ when you read her _Little Red Riding Hood_. That one has to eat grandma."

"She missed you a lot today, " Emily told Ryan when he entered the kitchen minutes later when he was sure Bella was sleeping, at least till 11:30pm or so. "And so did I."

Ryan smiled. "I missed you guys, too."

Call him sappy but he always did miss his girls. Ryan learned she was a little better but Bella had a fussy day. With not much sleep the night prior and that day, Bella seemed to have crashed after being relaxed by her bath and massage. Her parents would hoped she would sleep for a while tonight.


	26. TO READERS

_There might be a delay in updates to my stories. Yesterday I had to have my baby, my dog of sixteen years, 'Rebel' put to sleep. My mind is out of it right now. I hope to be back soon._


	27. A Different Wolfe

_**A Different Wolfe**_

_So sorry for the delay. Grief kills the muse. This chapter is dedicated to my sweet Rebel. I hope "doggie-heaven" is good enough for you._

Ryan always had a bit of a temper. In the years he was without Emily there had been times it had got the better of him, occasionally getting him into trouble on the job but thankfully never beyond a harsh warning from Horatio Caine. Never telling him, his friends and co-workers had noticed a difference in him since Emily had re-entered his life. Ryan was calmer and much slower to snap. Emily had a calming effect on him. Perhaps it was because she had a temper of her own and he was able to do the same for her. As mushy as it sounded, the two seemed to be each other's missing piece.

Even when the couple argued, if one of them got too loud, the other would stop and refuse to continue the discussion till the other "took it down a notch." Sometimes this made for a long time resolving issues but it was better than saying something you didn't mean and hurting your spouse's feelings.

Bella had an even more soothing effect on _both_ her parents, her blue eyes squinted when she laughed. Something that was easy to make her do. As tired as parenting was, neither parent thought it would be such fun or Bella would be such an easy baby.

Of course they would put on an exhausted face and say how hard it was and "absolutely no fun" being a parent was to any teenager wanted a baby. Though they weren't planning on having another child that soon, the couple decided to put the condo on the market so they could buy a house. If they were lucky, by the time the place was sold and if they got the price they wanted, they could pay for the right house outright, without a mortgage. Emily and Ryan hoped to try to conceive again when Bella were eighteen months old. Hopefully it would be so easy again. They wanted their children close together, if they had their second child when they hoped, a double stroller would be required but that actually sounded fun to Emily, though she wasn't know why. However, right now, life with just Bella was perfect. But they considered putting the condo on the market soon in case the wait for a sale. The news of the pending sale sparked rumors in the lab that Emily was already pregnant.

* * *

"Adding another already, huh, Wolfe?" Walter teased him. "_Jeez, you two work fast! _Must be makin' up for lost time."

Ryan laughed.

"Buying a house has to mean a new baby? There's no other possibly? I thought you were a better CSI, Walter."

Now eight months old, Bella was on the move. She was crawling everywhere and loved anything musical. The baby was showing her playful side. If she was playing on the floor, not the playpen, she would try to hide from her parents, usually under the table or behind a chair, erupting in giggles when she believed mom and dad thought she "disappeared."

It wouldn't last long Bella often cried when Ryan left in the morning. Except for her bright blue eyes which she got from her mom, she was her dad made over. She was only waking once a night most nights now and then it didn't take long to settle her. Daddy insisted on taking these shifts because he missed out on most of Bella's day. If he was lucky enough to be home in time, Ryan did baths and bedtime stories. It was his favorite part of the day, equal to spending time on the sofa with his wife afterwards, of course.

"She's gonna be talking in no time," Ryan said to his wife sitting on the sofa after he put Bella to bed.

"For sure," Emily replied. "She almost took a step today, too."

Bella was able to pull herself into a standing position for a few weeks now but was still too wobbly on her short legs to walk yet. She never cried when she fell, just tried again or went on doing something else. Her now constant babbling was a precious sound to mom and dad's ears. She was close to saying "dada" now but Ryan hoped she would say "mom."

"Is this a culture shock for you?" She asked. "This, coming home to a wife and child?"

"Wouldn't call it that," Ryan smiled. "I wanted this life with you for twenty-six years. The only shock I received in the past year and a half was seeing you at that restaurant that day. I thought I was dreaming."

"You and me both." Emily said kissing her husband.

_**PLEASE READ & REVIEW! Otherwise I'll assume I'm not getting readers!**_


	28. New Digs

_**New Digs & A Disgusting Request**_

_A short chapter but longer ones coming,..HELLO! Is ANYBODY reading this?_

"Uncle Frank gave daddy a hard time today. So feel free to give him a big stinky diaper when we're gone," Ryan said to a smiling Bella.

The couple were going out for a few hours to celebrate Emily's parents' anniversary. Frank offered to watch Bella. Emily hit Ryan on the arm.

"Will you _behave! _God, you men are worse than children!"

"Oh fine. You can show him your new talent, too," Ryan continued to his daughter.

Though shaky, Bella had taken her first steps two days ago. She was all of nine months old.

Frank enjoyed spending time with Bella, always had, As per her dad's request, or just by coincidence, Frank had to deal with a _very_ dirty diaper. When her parents returned, it was Emily who started to tease Frank.

She noticed his keychain had a picture of Sophie, his kitten, in it. She picked it up.

"Frank? You don't take this with you when you try to pick up women, do you?"

"Why?"

She showed him the keychain.

"See, us women, ones who do have cats, like to talk 'bout them amongst _each other_. When we see a _guy_ with a picture of a kitten on his keychain, his or not, our first thought is how _unmanly_ it is."

* * *

The Wolfes had got lucky. Barely two months after putting their condo on the market, they had a buyer. Which was good because they had found a four bedroom, two and a half bath house in a Miami suburb. They could buy it mortgage-free with the profit they made on the condo. They would be moving in three weeks. Their child's nursery being "portable" proved to be a very convenient, it was going to be in use for another while.

Ryan couldn't believe what he heard. There wasn't words to describe it. It was way _beyond_ shocked and disgust.

Erica Sykes had come to see him at work. Apparently she had decided to become a mother, via a gestational surrogate because she "didn't want to destroy her body with pregnancy."

Ryan scoffed as he listened, not surprised at all when she then added the live-in nanny had already been screened.

"Naturally," Ryan said sarcastically. "What the hell does this have to do with me?"

Then the words came.

He wouldn't have any financial or other responsibility but she wanted _him _to be the sperm donor.

"Relax," she said when the look came across his face. "Conception will done through IVF, not the old-fashioned way."

"Are you _kidding _me? You're fuckin' _certifiable_ if you think I'd do that! I can't _believe _you're even asking me! What part of 'I can't stand you and I never want to see again' didn't you get. years ago?"

"So you wouldn't do it? Won't you just think about it?"

"_Fuck no!_ Get out of my face, Erica."

Horatio had heard the whole conversation and even he couldn't hide his shock. The woman had some nerve.

"Don't torture yourself, Mister Wolfe," Horatio said to Ryan, sensing the first thought the young CSI as the woman left was how he ever dated her. "Your past is just that. You have now and the future."

Emily didn't understand why Ryan thought she would be angry with _him_ for what Erica asked.

"Why in the world would I be mad with _you_?_" _she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "_She's_ the one I'd want to punch. I'd only be mad if you even agreed to _think_ about it."


	29. Settling

_**Settling**_

_I'm not sure if babies Bella's age can be nervous about their new surroundings but anyeway..._

Bella wasn't sure what to think about the new house. It was much bigger and had stairs and there was carpet along with the hardwood floors. Sure, it was fun to explore, but it wasn't as easy to keep track of mommy and daddy with these new rooms. The familiarity of the exact same bedroom, right down to the wall stickers seemed to sooth her through. Mommy and daddy even had the walls painted the exact same color, days before they moved in.

"Daddy and mommy will be right there," Ryan said to his daughter, pointing to the doorway right across the hall as he carried her to bed. "Bella's room is right there. See? It's just like the one in our old house."

The couple knew it would be no time and Bella would used to the home. Thanks to friends and family members, the house was baby-proofed and the three were moved and settled in, in two days time.

"She calmed down fast," Emily said when Ryan came to their bedroom

"Daddy's got the touch," Ryan said, laying on the bed on his stomach.

This was Bella's first night in the new house, they weren't totally unpacked the previous night and the bedrooms wasn't set up. So she spent the past two days and one night at Vanessa and Harry's. Her parents slept on a mattress on the floor of what would be the master bedroom. Since the couple were dining on take-out Chinese over LED tea candles, on still-packed cardboard boxes, before watching a movie on the portable DVD player, Vanessa were hoping the two would "start going for number two" that night, despite the fact that Emily had told her numerous times that doing that was not going to happen till after Bella turned one. The couple was trying not take for granted that it would be so easy to conceive but they were both hoping that Emily would be pregnant again by the time Bella were eighteen months old.

* * *

"You're not sure this is your house yet, are you, baby girl?" Emily said to her daughter the next morning. The two were sitting on the joined foam play mats that covered most of the hardwood floor in the living room. It was Monday and Ryan had returned to work, having had the past three days off to move his family into their new home.

"Da?"

The night before both her parents noticed though even somewhat curious, Bella seemed nervous, not sure where she was, even though all the furniture was from their old home, all her toys were there and in view and the same play mats were on the living room floor. It helped much more than Emily and Ryan thought that the nursery in the new house was identical to the previous one. The baby girl slept peacefully because unlike the rest of the house, the room didn't feel new to her. She relaxed visibly and completely in her room, however, perhaps believing she were still "home."

"Dada will be home later."

A moment later Bella was immersed in her leapfrog activity table, "dancing" when any music came on, making her mom laugh.

Calleigh Delko came over to the house after lunch that day. She had spent the morning the spa, getting a massage, facial and pedicure, a gift from her in-laws who told her to take the day off. Now that Eric were back at work, she was looking after the twins on her own most of the time though Eric's parents still dropped by often. Eric had helped the couple move in but Calleigh hadn't seen the house yet. She commented it was beautiful and though Bella must be still be getting used to it, the family must be enjoying all the space.

"Do you like your new house?" Calleigh asked Bella as the little one walked over to her and handed her a wooden block.

"Ba!" She said.

Calleigh smiled at the baby.

"What have you got there?"

"How was the spa?" Emily asked Calleigh.

The blonde still looked tired but she looked quite relaxed.

"Great," Calleigh smiled. "Or at least I think so," she chuckled. "I fell asleep minutes into the massage. Even slept the pedicure.

"How is she doing?" Calleigh asked of Bella. "She gettin' used to it here?"

"She is. Havin' the nursery the same really helped. She knows her room is hers, even if she's not sure 'bout the rest of the house."

"Ryan said she slept well from the first night. That's awesome."

"I'll know she really used to it when she starts hidin' on us again."

Calleigh laughed.

"Yeah, Ryan told us 'bout that. He's looking forward to it. He misses that."

**_PLEASE read and review!_**


	30. Birthdays & Grill Cheese

_**Birthdays and Grill Cheese**_

_This story is probably going to have an unknown number of chapters for anyone who's curious!_

Her parents could barely believe that Bella was a year old. They threw a small party for her with Emily's parents and the team. There was burgers, potato salad and corn on the cob for the adult guests. Bella enjoyed Gerber mac and cheese. Eric and Calleigh bought the twins and Bella seemed fascinated by the two identical girls. The birthday girl had her own stunt cake so she could put her hands in it all she wanted.

Which she did the moment it was placed in front of her.

There were cupcakes for everyone else.

Alexx only smiled when Emily told her she spent her morning shower crying the day of the party.

"I just couldn't believe it's been a year," she said.

A second child were beginning to be a thought for the couple now, repeat, just a thought, Emily told her over-anxious mother.

"Why 'only a thought'? This little girl _is_ one," Vanessa said. She had dropped over during lunch. Bella was enjoying bowtie pasta with her fingers. She whined when Vanessa continued to hold her sippy cup in her hand as she talked. "I'll take her any time you and Ryan want. You wanna be a big sister, don't you, baby?"

"She wants her drink, mom," Emily said, ignoring Vanessa's further probing.

All she could think was how much of a "mood killer" it would be to know in the back of her and Ryan minds that when her mother picked up Bella that she knew their "plans."

Unfortunately Harry was also on the second baby bandwagon as well, him asking Ryan "when are you going to get my daughter pregnant again?"

He asked Ryan this after Bella's birthday party when everyone else had left.

Though not surprised by the inquiry, Ryan laughed.

"I guess you'll have to be like everyone else and find out when it happens," he replied.

* * *

Arabella Jasmine Wolfe had a wide vocabulary for her age. Along with "mama" and "dada," she said "nana" and "papa" for her grandparents. She said "dat" often, most of the time in question-form wanting to know "what's that?" She could say "hi," "bye," "up" and "dink," for "drink" when she was thirsty. Her favorite food was cookies, than it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, she was also developing a liking for cheese pizza. Some people were shocked Bella was given peanut butter at such a young age. But with no history of food allergies in either family, the doctor said it was no reason Bella couldn't have the food.

Bella was back to her mischievous self, hiding from her mom and dad, again laughing when she heard mommy and daddy say they thought she "disappeared." It couldn't be clear who enjoyed the time when daddy and daughter spent the evening together when Emily went out for supper and bowling with some friends. One of Ryan's buddies from patrol called while he and Bella were getting ready for supper.

"So, the woman got ya babysittin', huh?" he said.

"It's not _babysitting_ when it's your own child, you moron," Ryan replied. "I don't know, Bella," Ryan said as he pressed the _end_ button on the cordless phone. "Some people are strange."

Bella grinned at her father and proceeded to drop her wooden snail on the floor from her high chair where she sat.

"You're silly," he said, picking up the toy, placing it back on the table and kissing Bella on the head. "Now, what's daddy going to feed you?"

With no peanut butter and jelly in sight, his fault for forgetting to go the store on the way home, Ryan decided to try his daughter on something new.

A grilled cheese sandwich. He would have the same.

"Mommy and daddy really like these," he said, cutting the baby's sandwich into tiny squares and waiting for it to cool so it was just warm and wouldn't burn Bella's fingers. "I think you will, too."

He placed the plate with the bite-size squares on it in front of her to see what she would do. Bella curiously touched one square with her finger then with her other hand picked up another square and took a bite.

Then she smiled.

"Yummy, huh?" Ryan asked.

Bella continued to eat without a fuss but pointed to her sippy cup on the counter.

"Oh, daddy forgot your juice. Here you go."

Bella was asleep and Ryan was just finished tidying up the living room when Emily got home.

"Dd you have fun?" Ryan asked her, giving his wife a kiss when she walked in the room.

"I even got a turkey," she replied.

"I still could have beat your score," Ryan teased.

"Ha! Only in your dreams, pal. You two have a good evening?"

"We did. Miss Bella had a grill cheese and _loved _it. And oh, _apparently_, according to Harley, who called earlier, I'm _babysitting_ tonight.

Emily had heard a similar comment from one of the friends she were out with. The woman "couldn't _believe_" Emily left the baby with her _husband_.

Emily replied with a sarcastic "heaven forbid he look after his own daughter for a few hours."

"Or that he would enjoy it," Ryan said.

**_Please Read & Review!_**


	31. Ms Macy & Milestones 2 chps

_I'm combining these two chapters. Reviews, reviews!_

_**Ms. Macy and "Leashes"**_

Macy Flynn was the preschool teacher at Morningside preschool and daycare. She had taught both Emily and Ryan and also Emily's best girlfriend Selena. She had retired a year ago. She still lived in Massachusetts but was on vacation in the sunshine state. She was known as "Miss Macy" to the children. While at the grocery store she was sure she saw one of her former pupils, Emily Jaxson. There was a smiling baby girl with a ponytail on the top of her head in the front of the shopping cart.

"Emily?" She said, approaching her. "Emily Jaxson?"

Emily turned.

"Miss Macy?" She said, automatically.

That was all she ever called the woman, even if she was four-years-old anymore.

"I knew that was you! How are you?"

The two stood there chatting for a while, all the while Macy thinking how much Emily's baby looked like one of her other former pupils.

Someone named Ryan Wolfe.

"It's great to see you," Emily said. "By the way, it's Emily Wolfe, now."

"_I knew it!_" Macy said. "When did you two reunite?" The woman knew that two had become separated by "life" after high school.

"A little over two years ago," Emily said.

"And who's this precious lil' one?"

"This is Bella. Can you say 'hi' to the lady?"

Bella only grinned.

"She looks just like Ryan," Macy said.

"Dada?" The sixteen-month-old said, looking around at the sound of mention of her father's name.

"You'll see daddy later,"Emily smiled at her daughter.

Ryan wished he could have seen his former preschool teacher. He had had "quirky" habits even then and was ridiculed at home constantly. The teacher knew how he was treated by his parents and was powerless to do anything about it. She did the only thing she could; she told 4-year-old Ryan that everyone was different and the things he did made him an individual. That there was not a thing wrong with that. No matter what **_anyone _**told him, she emphasized.

Ryan had never forgotten that. It helped him cope with life for eighteen years before he left his parents behind.

* * *

Her mother would be happy to know that Emily and Ryan were trying for another child, as much as having a sixteen-month-old and the hours and call-outs of Ryan's job would allow. The third time the two had got interrupted during afternoon "baby-making" sex during the weekend (while grandma had Bella) as he dressed, Ryan said "I should give this case to your mom, I'm sure she would find who did it, faster than any of the team."

"For sure," Emily laughed.

"I love you," Ryan said, leaning in, passionately kissing his wife was still naked and wrapped in the sheets.

"'Love you, too. Please be careful."

"I will."

Emily sighed, getting up out of bed when Ryan was gone. Since she had time alone, she decided to take a shower. She swore at having this time however because it was supposed to be her and Ryan's time. Even the first five minutes had "done the trick" for conceiving again the two were both looking forward to a couple of hours alone together.

_Damn criminals,_ she thought.

Ryan wasn't gone all that long. Just under two hours. He was pulling back into the driveway when Vanessa had arrived with Bella.

And two _Domino's _pizza boxes.

"Let me give you a hand," Ryan said. "I'll take this one."

"Dada!"

Bella giggled as her dad scooped her up. She hadn't seen him since early that morning. She had a new word in her vocabulary, "pee-za." Nana thought it was too cute and couldn't say "no" the child's request.

Vanessa knew it was a touchy subject but when she sat down with the couple in the kitchen, but Bella was active little girl and she wanted to know if the toddler's parents had considered getting a safety harness for her. She thought the wrist strap the two used with Bella wasn't the right thing to use. With the wrist strap Bella could walk around a short, but comfortable distance from her parents when she didn't want to be in the stroller and also keep her little hands free.

"You mean we should use a leash on her? Like the ones on dogs, except for the cute little stuffed animal on the back? No way," Emily said. "Bella isn't a dog."

"No woof-woof?" Bella said, pointing at herself.

The three grown-ups laughed.

"That's right," Ryan said. "You're not a woof-woof. You're a pretty little girl."

Emily and Ryan could understand that the grandparents sometimes had difficulty keeping up with Bella, even they did, and they were half that age but they certainly weren't going to put their child "on a leash" to make it easier to manage her. The wrist strap did the job to keep Bella safe. And in the long run, Bella was going to learn to stay at an adult's side, using a "leash" was the lazy way out.

* * *

_**Milestones**_

"I gotta say, Wolfe," Walter Simmons said, "Despite your genetic contribution she's adorable."

"Gee, thanks Walter," Ryan replied.

Emily had an appointment at the beauty parlor so Ryan watched their daughter at the lab while she was there. Nobody knew yet but 17-month-old Bella Wolfe was going to be a big sister. Emily had found out she was pregnant again that morning. She was four to five weeks along though they were ecstatic, the couple wwanted to delay telling anyone right now.

Just a week ago before knowing of the pregnancy, they had added white rail sleigh twin bed with removable safety rails to Bella's room. She wasn't going to use it yet but she might get used to it faster by just seeing it in her room. By the time a new baby came she would hopefully sleep there. At the moment Bella was having fun using the bed to play with her teddy bears. When she was used to it and slept there, the crib would be taken out of the room and the new bed would be put in that spot.

When he was told the news, Ryan found himself as excited as when he heard Emily was pregnant with Bella. The only thing that was going to be different with this pregnancy, besides trying to include a toddler as much as possible was the fact with knowing what to expect, there wasn't going to be all the nervousness.

Only excitement.

Despite him trying to hide his news and excitement, Ryan must not have done a good job. Alexx Woods figured it out the moment she saw him that day. Bella had just left with her mom.

"Hey honey," she said. "When's the baby due?"

Ryan grinned.

"Wha..? How'd you know?"

The two hadn't even told Bella. She was a little person who couldn't keep a secret, then again, she didn't have any of those words in her vocabulary just yet.

"I had a feeling you guys would be wanting another one by now. Plus, you look too happy for a normal day."

Guilty then," Ryan replied. "She's only 'bout four or five weeks along so we're _trying _to hold off till we round the corner a bit till we really said anything but that's harder than we thought. And we only found out yesterday," Ryan laughed.

"I know the feeling," Alexx said.

Emily couldn't the news a secret, either. She was sure the whole of Florida heard her mother scream In happiness when she told her.

"Is this too soon for ya?" Emily asked Ryan as they laid in bed together, her head on Ryan's bare chest.

"No," Ryan ran his fingers lovingly up and down his wife's still-flat abdomen. "I'm looking forward to it. Is it too soon for you?"

"No, not at all."

He didn't have to tell her but Emily knew Ryan would find this pregnancy "amazing" too. The two lay there talking in the dark, saying they would sure to savor moments in this pregnancy, as well; hearing the baby's heartbeat, seeing the ultrasound, feeling the baby's movements and of course talking to the unborn child.


	32. Z's

_HELL-O! Is ANYONE reading this? :(_

_**Z's & Job Horrors**_

After only three weeks of seeing it in her room, Bella Wolfe had decided her new bed was nice enough to take her daily naps in. But not her "sleepys" at night yet. Perhaps it had helped that mom and dad had referred to it as her "princess" bed, not a "big girl" bed. For her parents, it was a good start. It would be seven months before the new baby arrived, they didn't need to rush Bella out of the crib. Their daughter also surprised them by completely giving up her high chair. She was excited that her new booster seat allowed her to sit at the table with mom and dad.

"You guys _do_ know you're going to require a double stroller?" Frank teased his co-worker. The expectant couple weren't sure whether they would find out the gender of the baby before-hand this time. But a double stroller was on the "wish list" for the future baby shower either way.

The _Fisher Price_ Walk N Ride toy that Uncle Frank had given Bella was getting massive use lately. At times Emily and Ryan were beginning to regret they now had some much more space. Bella was all over the place and loving it. Thanks to Horatio she had discovered large crayons and was quite the budding artist of abstract pictures. Emily had forgotten how fatiguing pregnancy was in the first trimester. Adding caring for an energetic toddler and Emily were exhausted at the end of the day. Believing that socialization was just as important for Bella as being home with mom in her baby years, mommy and Bella went to a playgroup twice a week where Bella had made lots of little friends.

And ironically Bella's best buddy seemed to be a little boy. His name was Josh.

Ryan had frowned hearing this, causing his wife to laugh.

* * *

Since he had left home Ryan had had zero communication with the people who had brought him in the world. He was completely fine with this. It might have been their intention to get rid of all ruminates of him but when he left home they had given the very small stack of photo albums of his childhood photos. Either way, he was glad to have these to share them with Bella. The amount of photos his wife had of herself before she was placed with the Studmans at age two, was more limited than his. But at least she had some to show their children as they grew. Neither parent felt their children would miss out on a thing not knowing their biological grandparents.

Emily smiled as she started to fall asleep, Bella's giggles in her ears. Daddy and daughter were playing in the living room. The child's giggles grew even louder when Ryan started to blow raspberries on her belly. As he would insist on doing every night when he could, Ryan had already given Bella her bath and dressed her for bed. They were playing for a bit before he gave her a snack and read her a bedtime story. Even though she told of her sibling-to-be she didn't understand what it really meant yet. Since her mom's pregnancy wasn't showing yet, Bella didn't seem to believe there was a baby growing in her mom's belly right now. Whenever Emily started to show it would likely register more for a little girl.

"You're forgetting, Wolfe, that we _already_ have two," Eric said to Ryan as they worked in the trace lab. Ryan had made the mistake of asking Eric when he and Calleigh were going to have another baby. From how tired Eric looked today Ryan was guessing fifteen-month-old Anya and Carly Delko had had their parents up a lot the previous night. He chuckled and Eric gave him a dirty look. Both parents had told friends that their girls still didn't sleep through the night, with one of them waking up at least once during the night. Ryan decided it was best not brag that unless she was ill Bella slept from seven to seven every night. Even if he and Calleigh didn't plan on expanding their family any time soon, Eric was happy for Ryan and Emily. The two deserved this happiness after being apart for so long. Though family life wasn't always smooth the Delkos found the joy in it that their friends had.

Sitting her daughter in front of the television with treats right after dinner wasn't something Emily normally did but Ryan didn't know when he would be home because the team had been called ro quadruple homicide in South Beach and she was beyond exhausted. Today along with their trip to the playgroup, she and Bella had went to the park to watch a puppet show. The expectant mother still couldn't shake the fatigue caused by her condition either. She decided to skip Bella's bath before she tucked her into at 7:00pm. The fresh air had truly tired the baby out, she fell asleep almost immediately.

_Thank God,_ Emily thought. She wasn't sure if she could cope with a fussy baby tonight.

Ryan didn't get home until after 11:00pm.

_The crime scene had been one of the most gruesome he had ever seen. It looked as if it was a murder for hire, possibly with two attackers. The identities of who were unknown thus far. The main suspect in the case was the mother of one of the female victims. The woman disapproved of her daughter's pending marriage. Her daughter refused to leave her fiancé and had told her mother that if she were made to chose, her husband-to-be was her choice. The other two victims in the case Bobby Russo and his wife Helena were visitors the deceased couple had invited over for dinner. There were no indications that they were the main targets of the crime. The most vicious wounds seemed to be suffered by the future son-in-law of the main suspect. Jason Lily had been shot in the back of the head three times. Kelly had had been shot twice the same way. The other couple had been shot only once._

_When told of her daughter's death by Horatio and Ryan, the suspect Sharon Pittman showed little emotion. The first words out of her mouth were not about how her daughter Kelly died, but if "he." referring to Kelly's fiancé Jason Lily was dead as well._

_When Horatio told the woman her daughter intended to marry was also dead, Sharon replied "at least he died not being able to call Kelly his wife."_

_What was being held back was the fact the engagement ring Kelly wore had been pried off her ring finger with such force that the digit broke. The piece of jewelry would be found in the throat of her dead fiancé. It was placed there post-mortem._

Emily awoke at 2:00am to see her husband had returned. She hadn't woken up when he had sled into bed near midnight. Despite his worn out emotional and physical state Ryan smiled feeling his wife blow in his ear and nibble at his earlobe.

"Aren't we frisky?" He chuckled, turning over and kissing his wife deeply.

Emily wrapped her arms around Ryan's bare body and kissed his chest.

"How was your night?" Ryan asked her. Ryan had checked on Bella before going to bed himself, he smiled to see her sound asleep.

"Tiring. But Bella must think I'm the best mom. I was so tired after the park I parked her in front of the tv with animal crackers and juice so I could lay down. I don't think she realized I fall asleep for a half hour. I skipped her bath but I don't think she minded."

Ryan rubbed Emily's hair.

"I don't have to go in till eleven tomorrow. You can sleep in. I'll bathe her before I leave. "

Not only did Ryan look after Bella in the morning, letting his wife sleep some, he also served her breakfast in bed when she awoke at 10:00. The only thing he didn't do, only because of lack of time, was fold the clean laundry that was now in the dryer.

"Leave me _something_ to do!" Emily joked.

Ryan smiled, kissing his wife knowing he were in for a rough day further processing the murders from the night before.


	33. What's YourOatmeal 2 chps

_**What's Yours...**_

_I don't like the idea of a Molly Sloan/Ryan Wolfe relationship. I prefer him and Natalia._

The day didn't start out well for Ryan before even heading to the autopsy theater. A new DNA technician named Molly hit on him in the locker room, rolling her eyes when he told her he was married and to back off–in no uncertain terms.

"It's not like she's gotta find to out," Molly replied. "Your life can't too exciting going home to a toddler and a wife. Besides I heard she's pregnant. She can't be giving you too much right now. And the kid's got to get on your nerves after all day."

Ryan begged to differ on all accounts.

Horatio interrupted the situation before she again rubbed up against Ryan's shoulder.

"Miss Sloan, my office. Immediately."

Molly Sloan had had a history of sexually harassing male co-workers and also had several affairs with co-workers, and male spouses of co-workers. There was a rumor her four-year-old son, Joey belonged to the husband of her former female supervisor. Hiring her, Molly had promised Horatio those days were behind her and she wouldn't behave that way at the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. How quickly that promise went bust when she thought she wasn't being watched. Horatio knew that Ryan would never be unfaithful to Emily, but _if_ he ever did, it would not be at the lab where friends could see it and they could, and would tell Emily.

A short time later, minutes before heading to the morgue Horatio met with Ryan. Molly's reaction to Horatio's lecture in his office was to resign before he could tell her she was fired. She wouldn't be a problem to anyone anymore.

_On to autopsy,_ Ryan thought.

The mystery to where Kelly Pittman's engagement ring was, was solved. The killer had put it in the throat of Jason Lily, her fiancé.

This only furthered the suspicion that the murders had to do with the couple's upcoming nuptials. Every person they had spoken to, even family and friends of the other couple had said Kelly's mother Sharon was incensed by the engagement and would do "anything" to stop the wedding from going ahead.

* * *

Emily sighed heavily.

"What's going on, babe?" Ryan said walking into their bedroom to get ready for bed.

"I can't believe my clothes are feeling tight already."

Ryan smiled softly and kissed the side of Emily's head as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Underneath her clothes the shape of her body was already starting to change, she already had a tiny belly. Alexx had assured Emily this was normal being her second pregnancy.

"You're beautiful," he said to her.

"You wanna have sex, don't you?"

"Well...yeah."

"Good. 'Cause so do I," Emily said, pushing Ryan back onto the bed.

_Hoping _to be intimate with his wife Ryan had locked their bedroom door in case Bella decided to get out of bed. For the past two nights, she had decided to sleep in her "princess" bed. She usually called out to them however and they would hear her on the baby monitor. Emily knew about Molly Sloan's advances on Ryan and wasn't mad with _him_. She was secure in their marriage; she knew Ryan wanted her and _only_ her. Besides, it only proved her point Ryan was sexy.

"You were on my side of the closet again, I see," Ryan said to Emily hours later. The only other piece of clothing he had removed from her body beside her panties before they made love was one of his t-shirts.

"You know the saying. 'What's yours is mine, what's mine is my own.' I'm nice though," Emily smiled. "You're welcome to wear my clothes. I'm sure my pink Betty Boop lounging pants would look great on you."

"I'll pass, thanks," Ryan replied.

_"Dada!"_

A little voice came through the baby monitor and the red light on the device flickered. It was 3:30am.

"That would be you," Emily said not moving a muscle or opening her eyes. "I'm still off the clock for another three hours."

Ryan shook his head. "First, you take my clothes _then_ you force me to get out of bed 3:30 in the morning."

"_Dada!"_ Bella called out.

"Oh, you _poor thing_! You better move. Sounds like someone is getting impatient."

"This only proves what I'd do for you," Ryan said as he left the room.

_**Oatmeal & First Hello's**_

"You know, this is pretty tasty for kid stuff," Ryan said, testing Bella's _Cookies and Creme _instant oatmeal before placing it in front of her.

"It is. Why do you think I always buy two boxes? I eat it, too."

Plain oatmeal or _Campbell_'s chicken noodle soup was all Emily could keep down on the occasional bad days she had during pregnancy. However she ate the Cookies and Creme variety sometimes because she enjoyed the taste. It was one of the mornings that Ryan was able to have leisurely breakfast with his family. It was a rare happening but something he savored. He would meet up with Emily later that afternoon. Her first ultrasound was today at 1:30pm.

* * *

Both Emily and Ryan became teary-eyed seeing the image of their second baby on the ultrasound screen. The technician told them she wasn't able to tell them the gender of the unborn baby yet. She said she would be able to tell the parents-to-be that with certainty in another month. That was fine with them. This time the couple were less sure if they wanted to know the baby's sex before birth. Though the women didn't say so, she hinted to the couple a few times that the baby Emily was carrying was a boy.

Still not that it mattered. Both parents left the office with a printout of the baby.

"I love you. Both of you," Ryan said, kissing his wife passionately in the parking lot before opening the door of her car for her. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

Emily smiled, running her fingers through Ryan's hair before wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the gesture.

"I love you, too. Be careful."

"Always, babe."

Bella wasn't sure what to think about the print that her mom showed her when she came home. But she did point from Emily's belly to the photo and ask "baby?"

"That's right, sweetheart," she said, kissing Bella on the head when the little girl climbed into her lap. "That's your baby."

Emily thought it would be neat if their second child turned out to be a boy. She had always wondered what it would be like to raise a "little Ryan" even if that _wouldn't_ be his name. Bella was still nearly identical to her father, except for her blue eyes. At birth, her eyes appeared hazel, the same color as Ryan, But by the time she was three months old they were a bright blue like Emily's. How many children the couple planned to have they weren't sure yet. Even if they did have a little boy this time, depending on how they found life with two children, a third wasn't out of the question. And contrary to how some people thought nowadays, if they were to have a third child, or more, "finances" was certainly on the list but on the top of it.

"The excitement must be really sinking in for you guys, now, huh, Wolfe?" Walter asked Ryan. "Gonna be junior this time?"

Ryan laughed and shook his head.

"Not if Emily has anything to say about the matter. She _hates_ the notation with a passion."

A thought of having a son did stir some excitement in Ryan but if that wasn't the case he wouldn't take for granted that he were a very blessed man. Most people who wanted to find their first love after years had to search for that person. Most of the time the person wasn't found in the same city, and by pure chance across the restaurant where you're eating lunch with your co-workers. If that didn't make him lucky enough, at least in his view, he had the most beautiful daughter in the world.

And a second daughter would be great too.

"You're better than mommy with those! Don't let daddy see," Ryan heard when he walked in to the porch of his home that evening.

Emily had ordered dinner from a new Asian take-out place that had opened a week ago. She was eating chicken with teriyaki sauce and noodles with a fork. Bella was eating noodles.

With chop sticks.

When she saw her husband walk in, grinning, she said "one word from you and I'm shoving these up your nostrils," she said referring to the set of chopsticks that came with her meal.

"You wouldn't," Ryan said.

"Wanna call my bluff on that?" Emily called after her husband as he walked down the hall to change his clothes before eating. "Just for that, your beef and broccoli might disappear before you get here!"

"Oh, I doubt that!" Ryan called back

He knew how much his wife hated broccoli.

Both the couple agreed that the food wasn't the worst but they wouldn't be ordering from there again.

"You think it's a boy?" Emily asked Ryan that night. She was laying with her head on Ryan's lap

"I don't know," Ryan mused, running his fingers gingerly down his wife's side. "But I _do_ know I'm happy, no matter what."

The new baby's ultrasound print was on the inside of his or her father's locker door. Part of him was curious to know the sex of the baby but another part of him wanted it to be a surprise. He had a feeling though that the chance for this knowledge was going to be too much to resist in another month.

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**_


	34. Names & Patience

_**Names and Patience**_

_Mentions from "Caged" episode, tweaked to fit my imagination._

Though she had previously thought the name was for a dog. But she was thinking that just _maybe_ she wanted to name the baby Riley if she gave birth to a boy. She absolutely hated the notation of a "junior' but did want a name similar to her husband's for the new arrival. She too, doubted that they would be able to wait till the baby's birth to find out the sex. Every bit of excitement was still there even though it was her second pregnancy. What was absent was the anxiety of what to expect during pregnancy and labor. This took much stress off of Emily; the energy that was wasted on worrying in her first pregnancy was now used on keeping up with an active nineteen-month-old toddler.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way, even on a day like today.

Bella was being _very challenging _from the time she woke up. The "terrible twos" were fast approaching. Emily lost count at the number of times she said "Bella no!" by ten in the morning. She felt horrible however when she scolded her child when Bella tried to remove the top of her sippy cup.

Bella's eyes got big and her lower lip started to quiver. Then Emily realized what the toddler had been trying to do. She wanted dip her oreo in her milk like mom just had.

"Oh mommy's so sorry, sweetheart!" Emily said, going over and giving Bella a hug. "Here, let mama help you. There, try it now," she said taking the top off of the cup.

Bella seemed to forget that her mom had yelled at her. She smiled and giggled dipping the cookie into the liquid.

"_Good girl!_ Yummy, huh?" Emily said.

Bella nodded.

_I so deserve a time-out,_ Emily thought of her outburst. Even though she knew she were only human. That didn't stop her from feeling bad for losing her temper with her daughter for only to be like mommy. Ordinarily she didn't feel bad when she scolded Bella and Bella seemed to know when she misbehaved and it didn't upset her. But she wasn't being "bad" a moment ago and mommy yelled. That was what upset her but it was over now.

Bella forget about the incident must quicker than mom.

Ryan called to check in with his family at lunchtime. He could tell Emily having a tough morning. He was glad his mother-in-law were going over to take Bella to her toddler group today. Emily needed a break. It may have been early in her pregnancy, but his wife was still pregnant and hormones were a part of it. Hormones were the reason her eyes got wet after yelling at Bella and when she told Vanessa about it.

Vanessa gave her daughter a hug. "That's okay, baby," she said. "She still loves her mom. C'mere, Bella. Your mommy needs a big hug."

Bella ran over to Emily and Emily scooped her up. Bella put her chubby hands on her mom's cheeks, giving a wet kiss on the mouth

Bella wanted to stay at her grandparents' house after her toddler group and Ryan was going to get home early today.

"Enjoy some time with your man," Vanessa said.

Emily took the time to take a stroll and drop in to the local deli, picking up several packs of turkey breast and some cucumber and baby carrots. These were really the only vegetables she liked. She planned to make herself a sandwich for lunch with a few vegetables on the side.

He loved his little girl but Ryan was pleasantly surprised to have some time with his wife when he got home. He wasn't injured but was sent home early because the suspect he had been trying to arrest had punched him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground as well as knocking the air out of him. Alexx had checked him and confirmed he didn't need treatment but she sent him to the hospital for an x-ray to make sure.

"You might want to have the lil' one go easy on you for a few days," she smiled, knowing Bella's habit to jump on Ryan's stomach during playtime.

"Noted," Ryan smiled.

Bella appeared to understand she had to "be gentle" with daddy for a few days when they were playing that evening.

"Dada owy? 'Ella 'urt?" She asked, pointing at Ryan's abdomen.

"Yes, daddy's got an owy. But Bella didn't hurt daddy. Don't worry," he said, kissing her on the side of his child's head.

Trained fighter or not, Emily wanted to hit this guy.

"Are you okay, hon?" Ryan asked softly, noticing a certain look in his wife's eyes. Their daughter was absorbed in the tv, she didn't notice. Ryan embraced his wife. Emily began to cry softly, the anxiety of her husband being hurt leaving her body. "Shh. I'm right here, babe. I'm all right. Shh." He rocked his wife back and forth for a few moments.

"I love you," Emily whispered, looking up at Ryan, tears still streaming down her face.

"I know. And I love you. Everything's okay, sweetheart, I promise," Ryan replied, placing a series of soft kisses on his wife's face. He wiped away her tears with a tissue.

Emily fell asleep wrapped in Ryan's arms on the couch.

* * *

It was decided.

The two wanted to find the sex of the baby the next time Emily visited the doctor. They had picked out a name for a baby boy.

Riley Jonathan Wolfe.

A girl would be named Faith, they weren't sure on a middle name yet. Vanessa thought the expectant couple should wait this time. Ryan told her they thought it would be good for Bella to know if she was going to have a brother or sister. Even if the baby's name would be a secret till the arrival.

That would again be to avoid getting things with names on it.

"Did Emily get upset yesterday?" Eric asked Ryan the next morning. He knew his question didn't really need an answer. If she hadn't been, he would be very surprised.

"Yeah," Ryan said. "If she wasn't pregnant I think I would have had a much harder time trying to convince her she didn't want to go after Kroll. On the funnier side, Bella told me at bedtime she thought my "belly was broken." And that's why she can't jump on me for a few days."

"That's cute," Eric laughed.


	35. Mixed Topics

_**Mixed Topics**_

Bella starred at the two baby carrots and three cucumber slices on the plate in front of her. Daddy said she couldn't have her two brontosaur chicken nuggets and McCain Smile till she ate the food in front of her. She couldn't believe he wasn't giving in to her "peases." Normally _mommy_ didn't give in but she got her way with daddy.

Ryan could compare this to waiting out the silence of a suspect. A full seventeen minutes later Bella gave up.

"See?" Ryan said. "That wasn't so bad. Here's your yummy stuff."

"Dada, wed," Bella said, pointing to the corner to the colorful plate with her name on it. Vanessa had given her a whole set with different designs on them.

"You want some ketchup? That sounds like a good idea," Ryan said, putting some on the spot

Emily was in the living room on the phone with her brother James who was now living in San Diego. Ryan was lifting Bella out of her chair when she entered the kitchen twenty minutes later. She had just finished eating a cookie for dessert.

"Now, you can go play while mommy and daddy eat," Ryan was saying to her.

When Emily's phone call was much longer she told Ryan to go ahead and fed Bella her dinner.

"She only now finishing?" Emily asked. It had been over a half hour it never took Bella long to eat.

"We had a record stand-off over the veggies. Seventeen minutes," Ryan replied."you two had a nice chat."

"Yeah. I got a story to tell you when I sit down," she said, getting her plate of food off of the counter.

In junior high and high school a guy named Tommy Larsersky, who later became a California congressman, relentlessly had pursued Emily and bullied Ryan. James had run into Tommy that day and asked about Emily. He said he wanted to ask her out. Hearing she were in Florida, he said they could have some fun "in the heat of Miami" now that she had that "wimp Wolfe out her of system." James replied he thought not only would Emily decline because she thought Tommy was a creep but his brother-in-law would have an issue with that.

_"She got married? Lucky guy. What's his name?" Tommy had asked. _

_ "Ryan," James replied. "Ryan Wolfe."_

_ The look on Tommy's face was as if he had been given the ultimate kick to the balls. And James thought it looked good on him._

_Tommy then thought James were joking._

_ "You're shittin' me, right? She didn't go and marry __**him**__!"_

_ "You bet she did. And they have an adorable daughter and are expecting a second baby."_

"_I can't believe this," Tommy mumbled._

_ "'Can't believe he 'won' the girl over you? Shows you never did try to see what my sister wanted in someone," James replied. "And you lacked it."_

Ryan smiled. He never thought of "winning" Emily because that made her seem like she were some trophy. She wasn't. She was a woman. An amazing one at that.

But he felt privileged every second of his life to be the one she choose to love.

All of Emily's more form-fitting and favorite clothes had become too tight to wear in the last few days though she was only showing slightly. By the time she went to her sixteen-week ultrasound in two weeks she guessed she would look pregnant without question. She either wanted to be able to wear her favorite clothes or look pregnant. Emily was cute when she was annoyed in Ryan's eyes. Ryan laughed when she told him this, he laughed even harder when she gave him a dirty look.

"Stop laughing at me! You're lucky I don't feel like making up a story of why your dead body is laying on the floor, otherwise I'd kill you."

Ryan laughed even more, earning himself a cushion to the head.


	36. The Future

_**The Future**_

_Rated "M" for safety!_

Emily laughed.

"_Now_? If you haven't noticed, sister, my shape isn't exactly dream wedding gown."

Her sister, Haley was suggesting that Emily and Ryan renew their wedding vows in a small but eloquent ceremony in front of family and friends. Haley knew that as long as Ryan was her groom no matter where and how casual it was Emily thought the day was _more_ than perfect but she also knew that her sister had dreamed of her wedding (to Ryan) in a white dress.

Emily's reply told her sister she had a wedding gown in mind.

"Well, after the baby's born. You guys deserve it. Think about it."

Maybe she would.

After the baby was born and life had settled some. The expectant parents had decided that they would be finding out the gender of their unborn baby. Not that she wanted one over the other but Emily wondered and partly hoped that she was having a boy this time around. A girl and boy was the standard "perfect set" but the Wolfes were not sure if they were going to stop after two children or not,

They might, they might not.

Surprisingly renewing his wedding vows to Emily was something that Ryan thought about. He didn't doubt their wedding day was perfect in it's own way but he knew she had dreamed of a real wedding, or at least her parents being present.

"We definitely should look into that after we get this one," he told her, rubbing his wife's rounding belly.

"Really?" Emily asked.

She hadn't expected that answer.

"Sure."

The couple agreed that Bella probably wouldn't be involved in the ceremony, she was too young, though _both_ their children would be present.

Ryan had rushed his wife to the E.R. after she complained of severe cramps. She wasn't experiencing any bleeding or discharge, which was a good but at fourteen weeks pregnant they were out of the window for miscarriage but knew at any point it was possible that Emily could develop complications without warning. The two just crossed their fingers that this wouldn't occur.

By seven the pains Emily experienced had stopped. An ultrasound and heartbeat check didn't find anything out of ordinary. They kept Emily in the hospital until ten in case she was to develop bleeding. When she didn't, Emily was allowed to go home. Till her next appointment, in a week, the doctor wanted her to take it very easy.

Translation: bed rest.

Something that was tricky with a toddler but that had to be done.

Both mom and dad had heaved audible sighs of relief hearing their baby's healthy heartbeat and seeing him move on the ultrasound screen. They were both certain it was a boy but they wouldn't know for sure till Emily's sixteen week ultrasound. Deep down, both were fearing the worst but didn't want to say it aloud. Whether it was he wasn't moving or fear had caused her not to feel it, Emily hadn't felt the baby inside her move while she was cramping. The movements at this point were faint and she was starting to feel them even if Ryan couldn't feel them on his palm yet.

And they were still cleared to have sex.

Ryan took the rest of the day off to look after Bella. When he went to the lab the following day and as long as his wife had these orders from the doctor, Vanessa and Harry were going to come over and care for their granddaughter. That was arranged very quick. They even took the little girl for most of the day so the couple could catch up on the sleep they had lost. Emily and Ryan deserved so much happiness, it would have been an incredible tragedy for them—and Bella, to lose the baby. whether it wasa boy or a girl.

Arriving at work the next morning—leaving a very unhappy Bella who hadn't wanted him to go, crying her eyes out in grandpa's arms—Ryan thanked Horatio for his understanding the previous day. It had been very stressful and Ryan knew his head would not have been in the job.

"No problem, Mr. Wolfe," Horatio had said. "Everything's okay?"

The older man knew that as much law enforcement officers had to sacrifice, there was times that no matter what was going on the job, it was more important for them to be there with their loved ones.

"It seems so," Ryan said. "They couldn't find anything and Emily's feeling good. She's on bed rest till she sees her regular doctor next week."

"That's good."

Though she was dozing in bed after eating breakfast—something her husband nagged her to do because of her pregnancy—Emily did hear her daughter's pleas for daddy to stay home.

_Poor thing_, she thought, but she knew that her parents could handle it.

When Emily got up to shower an hour later Bella was calm and happy again. She was sitting on the floor, Harry was reading to her. She didn't notice her mom and Emily was fine with that.

When things slowed down a hour before shift Ryan began to think about how it would effected them to lose their unborn baby. Even though they would have still had their precious daughter and technically they hadn't met the child yet, he was still theirs and very real. So far, they had "dodged a bullet" and were on the road to being a family of four.

Ryan again sighed audibly with relief, not caring who heard.


	37. Good Beginnings

_**Good Beginnings, Bad Endings**_

__With a smile the technician told Emily and Ryan that they should tell their daughter she was going to have a baby brother. The couple smiled, sharing a tender kiss. Being a man, it seemed Ryan wasn't believed when he said he would have been just as happy if he was told he was going to have another daughter. Most importantly his wife believed him, and it appeared that Horatio and Eric knew the father-to-be's words were sincere as well.

"You guys decided on a name for him, yet?" Eric asked.

Ryan had arrived back at the lab, proudly showing off the ultrasound print of his son.

"Yeah, but we just might change our minds yet so that's staying under wraps."

Plus, if Ryan told someone like Eric, who was known for teasing, that Ryan's son was going to be named Riley—a name very similar to "Ryan"—before the baby's birth, Ryan wouldn't be hearing the end of it.

There was good news at the Delko home.

It wasn't about new babies.

It was about _sleep_.

Anya and Carly, now fifteen months old, were _finally_ sleeping all night and by themselves— just in time for mommy to go back to work on a past-time basis. Emily thought it was no wonder that Calleigh and Eric were delaying having a third child. A few months to a year of something that resembled a full, good night's sleep had to be what they needed. The twins' sleeping issues were well-known to family and friends. _One _child who wasn't a good sleeper from the beginning had to be draining, but _two_ had to be utterly exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. How Calleigh and Eric held it together for so long and remained happy was a puzzle to everyone.

Maybe sleep was over-rated for adults.

The amount of bullet holes in the victim shocked even Horatio Caine, The motive for the murder of Eugene Banks even more. Eugene and his ex-wife Ava had been embroiled in a bitter legal battle over control of the lucrative designer-dog breeding business. The court had twice ruled in Eugene's favor and the court had just denied Ava Banks's final appeal, leaving the business in the sole control of Eugene after he paid her a one-time lump sum of $150,000, which court records showed Eugene had done that previous week. After the pay-out, Eugene had promptly sold the business right down to every kennel and food bowl, prize-winning studs and all. Why Eugene had sold the business after fighting so hard to gain control of it was puzzling. However it was in his right to do so and anything else related to the matter was for civil courts, not a criminal court.

Everyone knew divorces could get messy, especially when money and joint businesses were involved.

_At least the PETA would be pleased no animals were hurt,_ Ryan thought.

But Eugene Banks' death was "over-kill." An entire clip of a .38 revolver was emptied into his torso. Just one of the bullets would have done the deed. One bullet had pierced his heart, killing him instantly. It appeared that someone had a massive amount of rage toward the victim.

A vengeful wife perhaps.

Ryan shook his head as he and Natalia left the crime scene guarded by an officer in uniform and headed back to the lab to log in the evidence they had collected. It had already been a long day and it looked as if it was going to be a longer evening and even span into the night. It was the first moment that Natalia had a chance to congratulate Ryan on the news that Emily would having a baby boy. The father-to-be grinned, at least the day had started out great.

It was after two thirty in the morning before Ryan pulled into the driveway. As he thought that his girls was fast asleep. Bella curled up around a teddy bear that was almost the length of herself. Feeling grimy from his long day Ryan took a quick shower. While emptying his pockets of his sports coat before he hung it up Ryan found the print of the ultrasound of unborn son. The CSI smiled, touching the image gingerly in his thumb. He then laid the paper on the night table, propping it up against a framed family portrait of Emily, Bella and himself that had been taken at the beach a few days ago. Exhaustion over taking him, Ryan fell asleep almost immediately. He only stirred maybe an hour or so later, barely waking feeling Emily wrap herself around him. He sleepily kissed her face and drifted back to a heavy sleep.

_So sorry for LONG delay! I hope to update more often! Enjoy!_


	38. Perfect Morning

_So sorry for LONG delay! I hope to update more often! Enjoy!_

_**Perfect Morning**_

Bella's footy pyjama covered feet lightly touched the floor. She hadn't seen daddy since early yesterday. She walked the short distance to her parents' room, grinning, standing in the doorway when she saw him laying there, her mommy's arms wrapped around him. She picked up her pace, running toward the bed.

"Daddy!" She said, her little hands grabbing the fabric of Ryan's t-shirt, trying to shake him, with no luck. "'Uggies!"

Daddy heard his little cherub, however.

"Hello, my sweetheart," he murmured, reaching out and lifting her into his arms Ryan inhaled the sweet scent of his child as she hugged into his chest. Glancing at the digital clock on the dresser he saw it was 7:35. Late for Bella. He didn't have to get to the lab again till ten. That meant breakfast with his girls and some play time with Bella before he got her dressed and took her to grandma's. Vanessa was going to take Bella to her toddler group today since Emily was on doctor's orders to rest. She didn't have to necessarily stay in bed but going to a mom and toddler group was out. Pregnancy did have Emily somewhat fatigued and made looking after an energetic toddler more difficult but she found herself bored when Bella wasn't around and her husband was working. Yes, she knew listening to the doctor was what she had to do for the sake of the baby she carried but that didn't make doing technically "nothing" easy. There wasn't any housework to do with a husband like Ryan.

Cooking?

That was something Emily did when it _had_ to be done. Not something that was an enjoyable hobby. There was, however, her e-reader that had over hundred novels of different genres on it. She still enjoyed reading murder mysteries and true crime books despite her husband's line of work. There were romance novels as well. More than one person had told her if she were to write her and Ryan's story and send it to publishing companies, it would a best seller, "maybe even a movie," her sister said, Haley.

"Maybe in twenty years when the kids are grown," Emily replied. "Let the story play out a bit more."

That morning after kissing Ryan and Bella goodbye, Emily settled in and started reading one of a bunch of novels she had by Sheila Connelly. She was totally immersed in _Rotten to the Core_ until the combination of the baby inside her kicking and having to go to the bathroom bought her out of the world of imagination. When she returned to the living room she flicked on the television. The late morning talk shows were on. Finding nothing interesting on the tube, she turned on her laptop to check her e-mail. Haley had set her some new photos of her new lawn furniture and riding mower, her cat sitting in the driver seat. Emily's cellphone rang when she replied to her sister's e-mail so fast. She told her sister she didn't know what to do with herself without Bella around, the novels were great but there was only so much reading she could do. Haley told her to try the crossword section in the newspaper.

"You know _most_ stay-at-home moms would _envy_ you right now?" Haley said. "When you two have that lil' guy, too, you'll think back at this morning and realize all the stuff you could've done!"

Vanessa adored her grandchild but she _and_ a bunch of other toddlers were _exhausting_. Emily could only laugh at her mother's very animated description of the older woman's opinion of the morning. The three ate lunch together before Vanessa left. Mom and daughter played with Bella's zoo playset before Emily put her daughter down for a nap. Perhaps, she _should_ learn to enjoy "me time," Emily thought, but she would have to work on it.


	39. Playing Catch Up

_**Playing Catch Up**_

"You two jumped right in, didn't you? All that's missing is you didn't find each other on facebook!" Alexx had been a visiting pathologist friend Sylvia Moore about how Ryan had reconnected with his childhood sweetheart. The woman couldn't not smile at Ryan when she saw him.

Ryan laughed.

"Yeah, you could put it that way. Late start, we're trying to catch up."

Millions of times over the years both had entertained the thought of using the social network to search for one another but neither could bring themselves to hit the ENTER key, not waiting to disrupt any happy life either was living with someone else. Emily did have an account on the network, to keep in contact with people she met in college and were now living in various parts of the world, but Ryan did not. He didn't think highly of social networks. Whenever she was asked why she didn't try to track down her first love online, Emily had always replied, "I know him too well, trust me, he's not on facebook or anywhere else."

To some people, and with some couples marrying and building a family so fast was a recipe for disaster, even if they had known even each other practically their entire lives. But for some it worked great

Then the statement came to Ryan, "you guys should sit down write your story and try to sell it. It would be a hit!"

_Sure, and if they made it into a movie I want Channing Tatum to play me,_ Ryan thought with a chuckle. _Like we would have the time to'sit down' and do that! _

Even with just a toddler, time for "sitting down" was rare. It was only going to get more rare in a few months. "Sitting down" long enough to go through their entire life of memories together.

And Ryan wouldn't change a thing about the pace of how they had built a life together. He knew Emily wouldn't, either.

_Three hours later_...

Another shift and another child's life taken by a person most believed would protect them.

Ryan felt like he wanted to throw up.

That or grab the man in front of him in the interrogation room and shattered his skull like the man had the one-year-old child. The babynamed Mia, had knocked over his beer. Oliver Rivera was a martial arts champion and child's uncle. With one blow he had fractured the child's skull, causing bleeding and swelling in her brain. She was still alive when her mother Abby, found her in her crib, where Mia had been placed by Oliver. She immediately noticed the blood in the baby's mouth, the bruising on her head and that Mia's breathing was shallow. She immediately dialed 911.

When she screamed "what did you do to her?" moments later in the presence of police and paramedics minutes later, Oliver claimed to have done nothing. Both were taken to the precinct for questioning, in separate squad cars. It was clear before the hour was up that Abby was innocent. She had been working a twelve hour shift as a cook and clearly was not present when her baby was injured. She was immediately driven to the hospital to be with baby Mia. Mia was being kept alive only by machines. All her brain function had ceased. Hospital staff wanted to give the mother a chance to see her baby before telling her the horrible truth and asking if she wanted to discontinue life support. Even with the powerful equipment, doctors expected Mia to die within hours.

Mia died ninety minutes later before her mother could the decision. Resuscitation was attempted because Abby hadn't made the final decision. Tragically the efforts were futile. Mia Rivera was dead.

It was cases like this that made Ryan wonder why he choose to be a cop. Punishing the people like Oliver Rivera was why. But it didn't feel like enough. Why did _babies_ have to die? Especially in this way? These questions were as difficult to answer as what made someone, someone who was supposed to love the baby at that, do this to a helpless baby? What went through their heads to made them think it was okay? People seldom saw it but there were times Bella drove him crazy. But the thought of striking her never crossed his mind, let alone striking her with enough force to end her life. At the end of shift couldn't sign out and leave the lab fast enough. Natalia, Frank and Walter were going to go out for a "much needed" drink. Eric and Calleigh, like himself were going home to their families. No one was sure what Horatio was going. Knowing him it was more work, or home to get the few hours of sleep the man did take.


End file.
